Long-term effect of hospital pay for performance on mortality in England

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pay-for-performance programs are designed to improve patients’ quality of care and outcomes. Although short-term improvements are related to financial incentives, the long-term effects are uncertain. The Advancing Quality program, an initiative based on the Premier Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration, significantly reduced 30-day in-hospital mortality during the first 18 months. The present analysis was undertaken to evaluate the policy’s effects for an additional 24 months. Starting in 2008, all 24 hospitals providing emergency care in the northwest region of England participated in the Advancing Quality program. Measures of quality of care related to clinical conditions focus..