Measuring quality in health care and its implications for pay-for-performance initiatives.
The quality of health care is important to American consumers, and discussion on quality will be a driving force toward improving the delivery of health care in America. Funding agencies are proposing a variety of quality measures, such as centers of excellence, pay-for-participation, and pay-for-performance initiatives, to overhaul the health care delivery system in this country. It is quite uncertain, however, whether these quality initiatives will succeed in curbing the unchecked growth in health care spending in this country, and physicians understandably are concerned about more intrusion into the practice of medicine. This article outlines the genesis of the quality movement and discusses its effect on the surgical community.
Chung
Kevin C
KC
Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Health System, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5340, USA. kecchung@umich.edu
Shauver
Melissa J
MJ
D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States