Participants in Pay-For-Performance Program Show Improvements, Report Finds
About 225 medical groups participating in Integrated Healthcare Association's pay-for-performance program in 2004 made progress in 14 clinical quality standards, including implementation of health information technology, according to a report IHA released last week, the San Francisco Business Times reports.
The National Committee for Quality Assurance, an accreditation group, compiled and analyzed data from about 35,000 physicians in 225 medical groups and independent practice associations participating in the program for the report. According to the Business Times, the report found that cervical cancer screenings increased by 8.2% from 2002 to 2004 and that the number of organizations "receiving full credit for IT installations" increased by 53.8% from 2003 to 2004.
In addition, the report found that participating organizations also made advances in cholesterol screenings and treatment for chronic conditions, including asthma and diabetes. Breast cancer screenings increased by 1.5%, according to the report.
However, evaluation standards changed between 2003 and 2004, "making it difficult" to compare outcomes precisely, the Business Times reports.
IHA -- which represents about 35 health plans, health care systems and medical groups in California -- did not release results for individual medical groups or health plans. This data will be used to determine incentive payments to health care providers (Rauber, San Francisco Business Times, 7/6).