Patient outcomes and evidence-based medicine in a preferred provider organization setting: A six-year evaluation of a physician pay-for-performance program

Objective. To determine whether health plan members who saw physicians participating in a quality-based incentive program in a preferred provider organization (PPO) setting received recommended care over time compared with patients who saw physicians who did not participate in the incentive program, as per 11 evidence-based quality indicators. Data Sources/Study Setting. Administrative claims data for PPO members of a large nonprofit health plan in Hawaii collected over a 6-year period after the program was first implemented. Study Design. An observational study allowing for multiple member records within and across years. Levels of recommended care received by members who visited physicians who did or did not participate in a quality incentive program were compared, after controlling for other member characteristics and the member's total number of annual office visits. Data Collection. Data for all PPO enrollees eligible for at least one of the 11 quality indicators in at least 1 year were collected. Principal Findings. We found a consistent, positive association between having seen only program-participating providers and receiving recommended care for all 6 years with odds ratios ranging from 1.06 to 1.27 (95 percent confidence interval: 1.03-1.08, 1.09-1.40). Conclusions. Physician reimbursement models built upon evidence-based quality of care metrics may positively affect whether or not a patient receives high quality, recommended care.