RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Rewarding Healthy Behaviors—Pay Patients for Performance JF The Annals of Family Medicine JO Ann Fam Med FD American Academy of Family Physicians SP 261 OP 263 DO 10.1370/afm.1334 VO 10 IS 3 A1 Joanne Wu YR 2012 UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/10/3/261.abstract AB Despite a considerable investment of resources into pay for performance, preliminary studies have found that it may not be significantly more effective in improving health outcome measures when compared with voluntary quality improvement programs. Because patient behaviors ultimately affect health outcomes, I would propose a novel pay-for-performance program that rewards patients directly for achieving evidence-based health goals. These rewards would be in the form of discounts towards co-payments for doctor’s visits, procedures, and medications, thereby potentially reducing cost and compliance issues. A pilot study recruiting patients with diabetes or hypertension, diseases with clear and objective outcome measures, would be useful to examine true costs, savings, and health outcomes of such a reward program. Offering incentives to patients for reaching health goals has the potential to foster a stronger partnership between doctors and patients and improve health outcomes.