BACKGROUND Prior to a large diffusion of a pay-for-performance programme (P4P) in primary care in France, it seemed of particular interest to identify, the doctors not performing optimally who could be the main target of this programme. Based on the example of HbA1c prescription for patients with diabetes, this study examined the impact of general practitioner's (GPs) characteristics on the var...

*Tremendous variation exists today among commercial plans' P4P programs, but that will not prevent many of these programs from expanding, as this payment approach almost certainly will gain traction in coming years. *Hospitals that choose not to participate or that perform poorly in P4P programs risk losing market share as well as potential financial benefits. *Involving the medical staff in de...

AIMS To conduct a service evaluation of usability and utility on-line clinical audit tools developed as part of a UK Classification of Diabetes project to improve the categorisation and ultimately management of diabetes. METHOD We conducted the evaluation in eight volunteer computerised practices all achieving maximum pay-for-performance (P4P) indicators for diabetes; two allowed direct obser...

T he US health care system falls far short of providing care consistent with national standards of care and available knowledge. There continue to be wide variations in how care is provided, and a host of studies and reports point to substantial deficits in the quality of care being delivered.1–3 The study by McGlynn and colleagues4 that examined the delivery of care in 12 communities across th...