Promoting Healthcare Quality Program

Categories: Change Incentives to Promote Better Care

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield’s Promoting Healthcare Quality (PHQ) program was launched in 2003 under a basic assumption: If hospitals are offered incentives to improve quality outcomes and meet certain performance standards, the quality and safety of care for patients would improve.  Anthem was the first health benefits company in the state to introduce this kind of program and has since been recognized as a leader in expanding reimbursement for clinical excellence and improved medical outcomes, rather than limiting it only to delivery of medical services.  PHQ offers hospitals various incentives – including financial – for achieving measurable improvements in patient safety and health outcomes, using such measures as pneumococcal vaccination rate, provision of aspirin and beta blockers for patients suffering a heart attack, computerized physician order entry systems and ICU staffing.  Success is measured by assigning values for compliance with recommended patient safety standards, implementation of systems and processes to meet these standards and improvements in clinical outcomes.