Evaluation of a Payment to Recognize Community-Based Family Physicians
The need:
The Community Longitudinal Family Physician Payment was created as a step to recognize community-based family physicians who work under fee-for-service and care for a panel of patients providing long-term, relationship-based care. The General Practice Services Committee Incentive Working Group wanted to understand if and how the payment was making a difference for family physicians, as well as ways in which it could be improved in the future.
What we did:
With guidance from the Incentive Working Group, Catalyst completed a robust evaluation of the payment that provided a clear picture of its progress to-date, opportunities for improvement, and early indications of impacts on family physicians. We employed a range of methods, including: a province-wide survey of community-based family physicians; interviews with payment recipients; and descriptive and inferential analysis of administrative data. Some recommendations identified in the evaluation were actioned by the Incentive Working Group, such as implementation of a multi-media strategy to improve communications about the payment.
Services:
Process evaluation
Outcome evaluation
Impact Areas:
Primary Care
Health Care Transformation
