Professionalism, Performance, and the Future of Physician Incentives

The transition from the current performance improvement environment to a future state more consistent with human motivation and medical professionalism is supported by theory and preliminary evidence. However, each of these models can and should be tested in rigorous experiments. No single strategy for encouraging performance improvement is likely to be effective across organizations because of heterogeneity in their individual cultures and the attitudes of physicians in various specialties. But, a future state more aligned with human behavior, patient needs, and physician professionalism is possible.