An analytical approach to improving physician performance.

Health care reform has strengthened the link between performance and reimbursement, exemplified by valuebased purchasing and accountable care organizations. This has led to a heightened responsibility for physician leaders to improve physician performance. However, providing actionable assessments of physician outcomes is not as straightforward as it may seem. The physician leader is faced with myriad choices regarding how to evaluate physician performance and implement an improvement strategy. Fortunately there is a thoughtful, analytically based approach that enhances the success of physician improvement initiatives. Physician leaders should answer the following three questions for the clinical conditions under consideration in order to develop a performance improvement strategy: