Published 20 October 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b4224
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b4224

Editorials

Using patient experience within pay for performance programmes

Patient surveys are important but have limitations as a measure of system performance

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

"Pay for performance" schemes are being introduced in several countries to incentivise improvements in the quality of health care. In the United Kingdom, the pay of general practitioners is partly based on their performance under the quality and outcomes framework,¹ which includes indicators of the process and outcome of care and a limited number of measures of patients’ reported experiences of care. It is important that schemes to improve the quality of health care take account of patients’ priorities and experiences. In the linked study (doi:10.1136/bmj.b3851), Roland and colleagues assess response rates and non-response bias in a national survey of patient experience.²

Since 2007, national postal surveys have been conducted to assess patients’ views of NHS general practice. In 2009 a more extensive survey was conducted, which included questions on a range of topics known to be important to patients.³ The results of just two questions were linked . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Academic Unit of Primary Health Care, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2AA

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