• Provide a general description of pay-for-performance.
• Discuss some of the key challenges of pay-for-performance.
• Discuss how pay-for-performance will affect the primary care physician's practice.
• Discover how to utilize pay-for-performance programs to increase efficiency and gain financial incentives in a small office setting.

The University of Alabama School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Alabama School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The boards of nursing in many states, including Alabama, recognize Category 1 continuing medical education courses as acceptable activities for the renewal of license to practice nursing.

Dosages, indications, and methods of use of any drug referred to in this publication may reflect the clinical experience of the authors, clinical literature, or other clinical resources. Therefore, please see the full prescribing information before using any product mentioned.

UAB is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

The idea of "pay for performance," a way to link healthcare spending with quality care, is not new. Pay-for-Performance started years ago as a way in which healthcare payers, primary large commercial health plans, could rate and reward healthcare providers for reaching predetermined levels of care. While pay-for-performance programs historically have appeared in the private managed healthcare sector, other healthcare payers are adopting the practice of incentivizing physicians based on the quality of their care. Today, there are well over 100 pay-for-performance programs in the United States, covering over 60 million Americans.[1] Most organizations offer programs for specific health problems, such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. Each of these programs has measures specifying goals and incentives

The mechanisms of pay-for-performance have been debated heavily since its inception, with disagreements centered upon a number of select design elements. Despite the initial problems with the pay-for-performance concept and differing opinions about how such programs should be implemented, it is gaining momentum.