Pay-for-Performance: Practical Guidance for Decision-Making and the Latest Evidence

Pay-for-Performance: Practical Guidance for Decision-Making
and the Latest Evidence

May 16, 2006

2:00-3:30 p.m. EST

A Free Web Conference for Health Care Purchasers, Providers, Health Plans,
and Health Policy Makers

Overview

As the evidence, tools, and practical experience on pay-for-performance emerge, purchasers and providers seek guidance and lessons learned on the key design questions they must resolve in order to undertake these initiatives. Questions include:

Is our community ready for quality-based payment?
Which providers should we target first-hospitals or physicians?
Is it better to use a 'carrot' or a 'stick' approach?
Should we incent providers by using bonuses, withholds, or a combination?
Which should we pursue first-a quality-based payment scheme or a public report card initiative?
How can a quality-based payment scheme enhance our existing public report card initiatives?

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is sponsoring a free Web conference on May 16, 2006 2:00-3:30 pm EST, that will help public and private health care purchasers, health plans, and providers, understand the key design decisions that need to be made-whether they are contemplating, implementing, or evaluating pay-for-performance initiatives.

The Web conference will feature a panel of health services researchers and purchasers who will share the latest evidence and their own practical experiences on a range of issues related to the design and implementation of pay-for-performance initiatives. The discussion will offer practical guidance and will feature the AHRQ-supported tool, Pay-for-Performance: A Decision Guide for Purchasers, and the latest findings on quality-based purchasing from a recent special supplement of the Medical Care Research and Review (February 2006) AHRQ pub no.OM06-0036. To request copy call AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse at 1-800-358-9295 or e-mail AHRQPubs@ahrq.hhs.gov.

Intended Audience

This Web conference will be of direct value to the following stakeholders:

Employers and employer coalitions
Health plans, insurers, and other payers
State Medicaid Directors
Federal purchasers, including CMS, VA, and DOD
Federal and State policy makers
Health care delivery systems, hospitals, physicians, and other providers
Accreditation and other intermediary organizations

Web Conference Format

This interactive Web conference will last 90 minutes. A panel of health services researchers and purchasers will discuss various aspects of these topics and engage the audience in a live discussion of their questions and concerns.

Participants can connect to the Web conference in two ways-via Internet and phone, or via phone only. Please check the table below for information on the equipment/resources you will need to participate in the Web conference by type of connection.

Connection Type	Equipment Needed	This Format Will Allow Participants to:
Internet and phone	• Computer • Telephone • Web browser • Internet connection	• Hear the live audio from your telephone or speaker phone • View all of the presenters' slides in real time • Participate in the live call-in question and answer session
Phone only	• Telephone	• Hear the live conference audio from your telephone or speaker phone • Participate in the live call-in question and answer session

* The free Windows Media Player plug can be downloaded at microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp.

Web Conference Cost

There will be no charge for participation, but we would appreciate feedback on the usefulness of this format for sharing up-to-date information on the topics that most concern you in health care delivery and policy through the post event program evaluation which will appear at the end of the session. Please invite your colleagues to join us for this Web conference. We encourage group participation through the use of video projectors and other shared venues.

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