"Bridges to Excellence" Program Evaluation

The "Bridges to Excellence" (BTE) program tested the assumption behind "pay-for-performance" theories that paying physicians a bonus for meeting independently determined quality standards for care and office procedures will motivate physicians to make changes that improve patient outcomes and reduce medical costs.

At the conclusion of the first two years of the initial three-year BTE pilot program the results indicate:

• BTE rewards motivated the physicians to change practice patterns and demonstrate high levels of performance, however many physicians needed individual coaching about how and why changes could be beneficial. Establishing BTE program credibility was important to gaining physician trust
• Barriers may impede physician participation. Time and cost involved for physicians to implement specific practice improvements and to complete the performance recognition application process may prevent participation. If financial rewards are large enough and/or if financial or resource assistance is provided to help physicians, these barriers can be overcome
• The preliminary findings confirm published research that patients who are treated by high-performing physicians do have lower medical costs than patients treated by other physicians