British Columbia's Physician Incentives Not Enough to Improve Complex Patient Care

A program that offers incentives for British Columbia's primary care physicians has failed to improve access to primary care or reduce hospitalizations.

The British Columbia's (B.C.) incentive program was launched with the goal to encourage primary care physicians to provide care for patients with two or more chronic conditions such as diabetes or respiratory disease. Physicians were paid an extra $315 per year to care for complex patients.

However, this program has failed to improve access to primary care or reduce hospitalizations, revealed a study led by SFU health sciences professor Ruth Lavergne in collaboration with UBC professor Kim McGrail. The study is published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

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‘British Columbia's incentive program for primary care physicians has failed to improve access to primary care or reduce hospitalizations.’

Lavergne says, "There is no evidence that the introduction of incentive payments to physicians changed access to primary care, kept patients out of hospital or saved money."

More than $240 million in incentive payments have been provided since the program was introduced through the General Practice Services Committee in 2007, a partnership between BC's Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC (formerly the BC Medical Association).

Of the more than 155,000 eligible patients who saw primary care physicians in the study period, nearly 64% had at least one incentive payment billed for their visit.

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While the investment has improved physician compensation for caring for complex patients researchers say it has not led to measurable improvements in the outcomes they examined. Lavergne says other strategies are needed to improve care for this group.

Source-Eurekalert

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