Profession
ABIM to link board-certification data to pay-for-performance program
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 27, 2006
Internists will be able to use the performance data they report to maintain their board certifications also to qualify for bonus payments, the American Board of Internal Medicine said this month.
If physicians opt for it, ABIM will share data with the Bridges to Excellence pay-for-performance program. The performance measurement set known as the Comprehensive Care Performance Improvement Module is expected to be available this year.
ABIM is relying on an expert advisory panel to come up with the measures, but the Bridges to Excellence program will determine the payment thresholds.
This is not the first time that ABIM has linked board-certification data to a pay-for-performance program. Already, internists can let ABIM share any performance data with the National Committee for Quality Assurance's Diabetes Physician Recognition Program.
NCQA recognition is a prerequisite for many pay-for-performance programs.
"These arrangements permit data to be collected once but used for multiple purposes and provide additional incentives beyond board certification for physicians to get involved in performance assessment," Christine Cassel, MD, ABIM president, said in a statement. She called the data-sharing deals "an important step toward not only aligning incentives, but reducing the effort required of physicians when they respond to those incentives."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/02/27/prbf0227.htm.