Analysis of Physician Variation in Provision of Low-Value Services.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Facing new financial incentives to reduce unnecessary spending, health care organizations may attempt to reduce wasteful care by influencing physician practices or selecting more cost-effective physicians. However, physicians' role in determining the use of low-value services has not been well described.

Objectives

To quantify variation in provision of low-value health care services among primary care physicians and to estimate the proportion of variation attributable to physician characteristics that may be used to predict performance.

Design, setting, and participants

This retrospective analysis included national Medicare fee-for-service claims of 3 159 834 beneficiaries served by 41 773 generalist physicians from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 201

SUBMITTER: Schwartz AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6583417 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature