Connecting funds with quality outcomes in health care: a blueprint for a Clinical Practice Improvement Payment

Abstract

There are significant geographic variations in the quality of health care, often with substantial gaps between what is known to be achievable and what is actually achieved in practice. This is a global problem that has persisted for many years despite a variety of conventional quality improvement initiatives. Attention has therefore recently turned to realignment of funding with specified levels of desired quality of care as an alternative. This paper outlines one approach that will be introduced as a pilot in Queensland.