Why Compensation Tied to Group Quality Metrics Makes Sense

Incorporation of group quality metrics into an adult primary care compensation track facilitates team-based care and accountability for shared groups of patients. This article describes the reasoning behind group quality metrics and shares lessons learned and improvements in health outcomes as a result. Take-away points are as follows: 1) group quality metrics in a compensation plan help foster team-based care toward quality goals and shared accountability for the health outcomes of attributed patients; 2) definition of the work team is important and should include members who share responsibility for the same groups of patients; 3) information technology infrastructure and dashboards for performance and feedback are critical to the success of a quality incentive program; 4) inclusion of key stakeholders early in the process of designing team-based incentives is important for acceptance; and 5) ongoing education is needed to ensure continued focus on quality goals.