Reduced mortality with hospital pay for performance in England

Abstract

Despite little evidence of effectiveness, pay-for-performance programs are being adopted with the intent of improving the quality of care. The few studies evaluating these programs have shown only modest and short-term effects on hospital processes of care and even weaker evidence for effects on patient outcomes. In 2008, the Advancing Quality program was introduced in all 24 National Health Service hospitals in the northwest region of England that provided emergency care. Patient-level data were used to analyze patient mortality from all hospitals across England for 3 conditions included in the program and 6 conditions not included in the program for 18 months before and 18 months after the..