Study: complex changing payment models challenge physician practices

Physician payment models are becoming more complex and the pace of change is increasing, creating challenges for physician practices that might hamper their ability to improve the quality and efficiency of care despite their willingness to change, according to a new joint study by the RAND Corporation and the American Medical Association.

“The complexity and pace of change in how physicians are paid for their services has required practices to spend substantial resources just to keep up with program details,” said Dr. Mark W. Friedberg, the study’s lead author and a senior physician policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “While the practices in our sample generally voiced support for the goals of alternative payment models, these implementation challenges could make it difficult to achieve them.”