Inspiring Professionalism in Medicine: A Review of Incentives to Promote Positive Behaviors in Training and Practice

While the importance of medical professionalism is widely recognized, strategies for incentivizing positive professionalism have not been formally reviewed. We reviewed available literature on interventions to promote professionalism in training and practice to identify common themes and differentiate extrinsic vs intrinsic motivators. Among 24 relevant articles identified for review, 4 programmatic themes emerged: recognition and rewards (extrinsic motivators), and review of performance and reflection (intrinsic motivators). Most incentive programs were geared toward medical students or faculty, and few studies included outcomes data, although the reported findings suggested a positive impact. Incentive programs, such as awards programs, recognition of role models, feedback, coaching, and reflection, appear to promote positive professional behaviors, though further study is needed to facilitate optimal integration of best practices across training and practice. [.