Tuesday, August 18, 2009

DCRI's Eric Peterson quoted in News and Observer on pay-for-performance

A pilot program awarded approximately $250,000 to three Duke hospitals that are improving patient care in several different specialties. The program, sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, hopes to help reform health care by offering cash and recognition to hospitals with improved patient outcomes.

Unlike the current pay structure where hospitals get reimbursed based on the volume of procedures, the pilot program awards hospitals that have better patient results. It was launched in 2003.

There are 19 hospitals in North Carolina participating in the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration (HQID) program, and 230 hospitals around the country.

Duke University Hospital was awarded money for top performance in heart attack care, as well as coronary artery bypass graft surgery, heart failure, pneumonia, and hip and knee replacements.

Durham Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital also received awards from the HQID program. The improvements in patient care were measured in the fiscal year that ended in September 2007.

The DCRI's Eric Peterson said in the July 18 issue of the News and Observer that the measuring and evaluating tools of the program give clinicians clear indicators about what is working well, and that competing against other hospitals helped identify areas to improve.

To read the full article, click here.