Medical assistants have seen their roles expand as a result of team-based primary care models. Unlike their health care provider colleagues, however, financial incentives are rarely a part of MA compensation. Researchers conducted an exploratory evaluation to understand MAs’ attitudes toward financial incentives and their perceived control over common population health measures. The study team conducted semi-structured focus groups across 10 clinics based in three institutions in California and Utah. They analyzed MA perceptions of experienced and hypothetical financial incentives, their potential influence on workflow processes, and the level of control related to population health measures to identify emerging themes. MAs reported little direct experience with financial incentives. A hypothetical bonus representing 2-3% of average annual base pay was reported as acceptable and influential in improving consistent performance during patient rooming workflow. MAs also indicated that relatively small financial incentives would increase their motivation and quality of care. The data suggest target measures should focus on MA work processes completed in the same day as the patient encounter, particularly vaccinations, since MAs report higher control over vaccinations and same-day measures as compared to multiday measures. Future investigation is needed to understand the effectiveness of MA financial incentives in practice.
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Financial Incentives for Medical Assistants: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Bonus Structures, Motivation, and Population Health Quality Measures
Stacie Vilendrer, MD, MBA, MS, et al
Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford, California
https://www.annfammed.org/content/19/5/427
The Annals of Family Medicine