“It does not look like it will be overly burdensome,” Dr. Kellerman said.
Because the CMS has selected measures that have been vetted by physician organizations and reflect current medical practice, few physicians should have a problem with that aspect of the program, said Dr. Janet Wright, a cardiologist in Chico, Calif., and chair of the performance assessment task force of the American College of Cardiology.
The hurdle will be in changing the workflow in the office, she said. For some, the bonus payment will not be enough to offset the cost of making these administrative changes. However, the ACC is developing a special coding form that can be attached to the visit encounter form in an effort to streamline the process.
In addition, participation in the program will help provide the CMS with information on the real-life experiences of cardiologists, Dr. Wright said.
Dr. James Stevens, a neurologist in Fort Wayne, Ind., said deciding whether participation in the program makes sense is a calculation that has to be made by each practice. Those who give it a try will get a confidential report from CMS about how they are doing and have a chance to provide information on what works and what does not.
But Dr. Stevens, a member of the medical economics and management committee of the American Academy of Neurology, sees additional benefits.
“By involving ourselves in the process, we can have feedback,” he said.
More information on the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative is available online at www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI