Since satire seems to be the buzzword in the news world these days, we thought we'd bring you a recent JAMA "A Piece of My Mind" article by physicians Rodney Hayward and David Kent.
The idea of pay for performance is taking hold, with Medicare and most other major insurers implementing some form of the practice. There are elements of this shift that we agree with - like not paying for mistakes - but, as Drs. Hayward and Kent point out, the downside must be mitigated. Here's an excerpt from "6 EZ Steps to Improving Your Performance":
Step 2: Focus on Those Things That Matter Most
Once you embrace your performance measures, discerning what matters most is easy. But be forewarned—your patients will try to divert you from this critical goal by expecting care or attention for matters that do not count. Do not fall into this trap! You must not allow others to exploit your "sense of duty" or "compassion," diverting you from your professional obligation to attain and sustain the highest possible quality score.Too many clinicians wastefully focus the majority of their time and attention on those patients with the toughest and most challenging medical problems, such as patients with severe disease or difficult social circumstances. Although this approach might have made sense in pre-modern times (aka before HEDIS), such efforts are a fool's errand in the modern world of P4P. Simple deductive reasoning proves that if you are a good doctor (and we know you are), the problem must reside with the patient.
Take it easy...it's just satire. Right?
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