Walden University Pay For Performance Paper

The model for the delivery of healthcare in the United States and other parts of the world used to be fee-for-service where providers were reimbursed based upon how many patients they saw and treated rather than on the quality of the care that they provided. The current model is known as pay-for-performance, or P4P. This innovative delivery model has improved patient care by rewarding providers for the quality of care they provide, rather than thequantity of care.

A current example of P4P is Medicare. Medicare reimburses medical facilities and providers based on the quality of the care they provide. Additionally, providers are asked to pay specific attention to issues that, if addressed early on, it could decrease the likelihood of issues developing into a more expensive chronic health problem in the future. In this model, Medicare regularly reviews specific standards are reviewed regularly by Medicare based on very specific problems. These problems have been chosen because if they are addressed appropriately when the providers  identify them, they could possibly be prevented from recurring. For example, high blood pressure, if left unchecked, can develop into chronic kidney disease, heart disease, or stroke. If treated appropriately, these chronic and more risky health issues may be prevented. Hence the term, “pay for performance” (P4P) or being paid to do a better job.

For this Assignment, you will explore the topic of P4P. You will select and summarize two reputable sources that discuss the challenges of adopting the pay-for for-performance model. You will also identify the most significant challenges to adopting the P4P model.

To complete this Assignment, write a 3-page paper that addresses the following:

Summarize each of the resources that you selected.

Explain the challenges discussed in each of the two sources that you selected.

Identify the two challenges that you think are the most significant to successfully adopting a P4P approach. Explain why.