In 2009, nearly 120,000 physicians in more than 12,000 practices received payments from the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), for a total of $234 million. Over 48,000 physicians received part of a $148 million pay-out for compliance with e-prescribing.
Participation in PQRS has grown approximate 50% each year since the program began. On average, 2009 bonus payments for PQRS were $18,525 per practice and $1,956 per eligible physician. E-prescribing paid out $14,501 per practice and over $3,000 per eligible professional. Physicians and other eligible professionals received payment in the fall of 2010.
As PQRS physician participation increases, CMS will be able to collect more information about patient quality of care. Based on reported data, providers have improved the frequency at which they deliver recommended care by 3.1%, on average. CMS Administrator, Donald Berkwick, MD, explained, “Most beneficiaries get their care in the physician office; however, this is the care setting for which we have the least amount of data about quality of that care. The Physician Quality Reporting System and the e-prescribing program help bridge the knowledge gap so we can better understand the care millions of patients receive from physicians and other care providers every day.”
Integrated Data Management Services (IDMS) assists Dallas/Ft Worth physicians in capturing benefits of PQRS by identifying and correcting problematic areas. Through data abstraction and analysis, hospitals and physician offices can cut costs, improve quality of care, and reduce risk. Once the data is compiled, IDMS will develop a training and implementation strategy to improve compliance. Contact IDMS today at (972)922-9800, or email us at integrateddatamgmt@gmail.com to schedule a consultation.
