“Bridges to Excellence” Program Evaluation

July 26, 2006 "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 . . .