PROFESSIONTennessee doctors to get paid for "doing the right thing"A new study will evaluate physician reimbursement for adhering to practice guidelines and for patient follow-up.By Andis Robeznieks, amednews staff. Feb. 2, 2004. Health care quality improvement advocates believe that following evidenced-based guidelines, spending more time with patients and making better use of electronic medical databases will lead to better patient outcomes and lower costs. A new study led by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will put this theory to the test. According to Tennessee Blues' Chief Medical Officer Steve Coulter, MD, doctors will be paid "for doing the right thing" and researchers will measure whether this improves outcomes without significantly adding to costs. Physicians will be measured and compensated based on how well they adhere to evidence-based guidelines for treating congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension and for follow-up calls and e-mails to patients. "The current system contains some perverse incentives: It rewards volume and procedural complexity; it doesn't reward low-intensity activities like phone calls and e-mails and following evidence-based guidelines," Dr. Coulter said. The study will also integrate clinical and administrative databases, which will open up new ways to measure patient outcomes and compliance with physician instructions. Dr. Coulter said that clinical records typically show a prescription was written, but it's the administrative records that show whether it was actually filled and then refilled. Likewise, administrative records show whether a diagnostic test was taken, but the results of that test are only available in the medical record. [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment. Meeting coverage - Slideshow Feature articlesHealth reform review The Massachusetts experience Litigation stress Being sued is personal as well as professional Comprehensive coverage
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