Insurer to pay hospital cardiologists more if care improves

The cardiology department of the Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven and insurer CZ signed a contract in which the insurer will pay the hospital based on the quality of care. This means that the hospital will get more money if care improved and will have to pay money back to the insurer if care deteriorated, NOS reports. It takes two years to get a clear picture on the health status of a cardiology patient. This means that next year, the insurer will check whether patients from 2014 received better or worse treatment than patients in the period 2010 to 2013. And in 2017 patients from 2015 will be compared to patients from 2011 to 2014. This type of contract is the first of its kind, according to the broadcaster. Both the hospital and the insurer are convinced that it will increase the quality of heart care. The contract has a term of three years. The quality of cardiac care will be measured based on Meetbaar Beter (Measurably Better) - a quality system set up by the Catharina Hospital and the Antonius Hospital in NIeuwegein in 2012. It collects a variety of cardiac surgery data such as the number of mortalities, wound infections, re-operations and other complications. It also records the effect the surgery had on a patient's quality of life.