Linking Doctors' Pay to Performance

http://diabetes.org/diabetesnewsarti...6168ewEDIT.xml

or

http://tinyurl.com/2hvn5b

(excerpt)

Linking Doctors' Pay to Performance Has Little Effect on Diabetes
Outcomes

Linking doctors' pay to how well they follow treatment guidelines can
improve quality of care but not health outcomes, according to a study
of 1,666 poor, uninsured patients with diabetes (see also Diabetes).

Medicare and large health insurers have been experimenting with pay-
for-performance (PFP) plans that pay doctors more based on how well
they follow accepted treatment guidelines.

The researchers looked at changes in how doctors practiced at the
ACCESS Community Health Network in Chicago after it started paying for
performance. Under the new system, physicians received a base salary
plus bonus payments for specific tests and procedures they ordered.