Cancer Prevention & Control, Provider-oriented Screening Interventions: Provider Incentives
Incentives are rewards that motivate providers to perform screening or refer clients to cancer screening services. The rewards are usually monetary, but may also include other incentives such as continuing medical education credits.
Task Force Recommendations & Findings
The Task on Community Preventive Services concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of provider incentives in increasing screening rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers (based on a small number of studies with inconsistent findings).
Results from the Systematic Reviews
Breast Cancer
Three studies qualified for the review, and they showed inconsistent results.
- Completed cervical cancer screening (within 6 months of increasing practitioner compensation for performing Pap tests): an 8 percentage point increase (p_0.05) (first study)
- Rates of recommending and/or ordering for mammography, Pap test, and FOBT: Changed of -1.5, -0.8, and 2.2 percentage points, respectively (second study)
- Recommended or ordered mammography in the intervention group exceeded that of the comparison group by only 1 percentage point, while mammography completion declined by 2 percentage points (third study)
Interventions assessed in the included studies were diverse in their approach and duration.
Economic efficiency is not reviewed for interventions for which there is insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness.
This result was based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to cancer prevention.
Supporting Materials
Publications
Sabatino SA, Habarta N, Baron RC. Interventions to increase recommendation and delivery of screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers by healthcare providers: systematic reviews of provider assessment and feedback and provider incentives. Am J Prev Med 2008;35(1S):67-74.
Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations for client- and provider-directed interventions to increase breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. Am J Prev Med 2008;35(1S):21-5.
More Community Guide publications about Cancer Prevention and Control
Disclaimer
The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.
Sample Citation
The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation:Guide to Community Preventive Services. Cancer prevention & control, provider-oriented screening interventions: provider incentives. www.thecommunityguide.org/cancer/screening/provider-oriented/incentives.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.
Review completed: July 2008
- Page last reviewed: February 10, 2009
- Page last updated: January 27, 2010
- Content source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services
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