Rapidity and Modality of Imaging for Acute Low Back Pain in Elderly Patients

Abstract

Insurers press for standardized measurement of physicians' performance to broaden programs that link performance to financial incentives. Existing metrics focus on patient experience, relative costs for comparable conditions, and clinical quality. Yet most currently available measures on clinical quality focus on the underuse of services.¹ Few focus on the overuse of services that might induce harm through complications from unnecessary follow-up testing or treatment² and/or raise health care costs with little improvement in outcomes. Moreover, if patients tend to prefer more rather than fewer services, programs that only measure underuse but omit overuse may induce even more overuse of services.