Data's Motivating Power
By Robert W. Pryor, M.D., and Matthew J. Lambert III, M.D.
Physician engagement in value based care is an increasingly critical issue for health care boards. Many organizations are focusing on financial incentives to encourage physicians to move the needle toward value, but remuneration is a blunt tool and only one among many that can influence physicians practicing today.
At the heart of what most physicians seek is to do what’s best for the patient, as desired by the patient, through the provision of high-quality clinical care that achieves the best-possible outcomes. Boards ultimately are responsible for the quality of care delivered in their health care organizations, so providing clinicians with accurate and actionable data about quality and outcomes performance should be front and center on board radar screens.
Data and analytics that get to the heart of performance improvement opportunities are no longer nice-to-have tools; rather, they underpin an organization’s ability to achieve high-value care.