There's plenty of talk in healthcare about outcome-based reimbursement, reducing readmits and otherwise preparing for a healthcare economy based on quality and health, not productivity and sick care. And that is clearly where thing are headed.

But before a device manufacturer goes wholesale into quality-based messaging to the end-user or expect physicians to clamor for a cadre of patients wielding mobile health devices, it’s important to recognize that the outcome wave isn’t quite here yet.

Here’s proof: According to the MGMA Physician Compensation and Production Survey: 2013 Report Based on 2012 Data, primary care physicians report that 3% of their total compensation is based upon measures of quality. Specialists? Just 2% of their compensation is quality based. The money just isn’t there yet. For physicians, practically speaking, it’s all still about sick care and doing as many visit s or procedures as possible.

It’ll come. “Quality and patient satisfaction metrics are not yet dominant components of physician compensation plans right now, however, as reimbursement models continue to shift, the small changes we’ve observed recently will gain momentum,” as Susan L. Turney, MD, MGMA-ACMPE president and CEO, puts it. But device manufacturers might want to know that we are talking about momentum, not reality.

Pamela L. Moore
[email protected]