title: [Quality improvement in primary care. Financial incentives related to quality indicators in Europe].
abstract: Quality improvement in primary care has been an important issue worldwide for decades. Quality indicators are increasingly used quantitative tools for quality measurement. One of the possible motivational methods for doctors to provide better medical care is the implementation of financial incentives, however, there is no sufficient evidence to support or contradict their effect in quality improvement. Quality indicators and financial incentives are used in the primary care in more and more European countries. The authors provide a brief update on the primary care quality indicator systems of the United Kingdom, Hungary and other European countries, where financial incentives and quality indicators were introduced. There are eight countries where quality indicators linked to financial incentives are used which can influence the finances/salary of family physicians with a bonus of 1-25%. Reliable data are essential for quality indicators, although such data are lacking in primary care of most countries. Further, improvement of indicator systems should be based on broad professional consensus.
authors.affiliation: Debreceni Egyetem, Orvos- és Egészségtudományi Centrum, Népegészségügyi Kar Családorvosi és Foglalkozás-egészségügyi Tanszék Debrecen Móricz Zsigmond krt. 22. 4032. kolozsvari.laszlo@sph.unideb.hu
authors.forename: László Róbert
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Kolozsvári
authors.forename: Imre
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rurik
mesh_terms: D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans / Q000191:economics*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive / Q000191:economics; D006113:United Kingdom