Performance & Diligence Indicators (PDI) 

 

Physicians participating in the Performance & Diligence Indicators Program have until March 15th to submit the Level 1 Validation of their patient lists, the Deposit Information Form and the Validated Patient List Process Form to Alberta Health and Wellness. The PDI Helpdesk is offering extended hours of 0900 - 1600 hrs on Saturday March 13, for physicians/clinics that require assistance submitting their validated patient lists.  Instructions for doing so can be found in the Submitting your Validated Patient List section of this site.  Any Level 2 Validation that has been completed may also be submitted, but is not required at this time.  The CDs containing physicians’ patient lists were sent out in December and physicians must now validate these lists, and complete the two forms. 

Physicians who successfully create VPLs before the deadline will receive compensation of up to $7 per patient in April 2010. Payment will be made in the amount of $3.50 per patient to physicians who reconcile the Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW)-generated list of patients against a list from their own office. Physicians must also create a process for directly confirming with patients that the physician is their most responsible primary care physician.  An additional $3.50 will be provided to physicians for each “patient / most-responsible primary care physician relationship” that has been directly confirmed by patients or a parent/guardian.

Physicians with questions can contact the PDI Help Desk at 780.488.4350 or 1.866.714.5724 or via email at pdi@albertapci.ca. Questions about CD passwords to access patient lists should be directed to Alberta Health and Wellness.  When contacting Alberta Health and Wellness, please note that you will receive a response in the order in which your request was received. 

In addition, the Performance & Diligence Indicators Program has developed an Implementation Guide to aid clinics in the first steps of the program.  This guide will be updated continuously, so we recommend checking for updates often.  (Download Implementation Guide) 

The Performance & Diligence Indicators Program is a new initiative introduced in the fall of 2009 to promote leading clinical practices in primary care while improving the way that family physicians are compensated and was established through an amending agreement to the Trilateral Master Agreement.

The deadline for participating in the program in the current fiscal year has now passed, and more than 1,300 physicians are participating in Phase 1. The program is designed to compensate family physicians who achieve targets on specific performance and/or diligence indictors that deliver substantive clinical value may receive additional compensation to existing Fee for Service or Alternate Relationship Plan revenue.

The goals of the program are to:

• improve patient outcomes, and accountability and value for resources invested
• provide a mechanism for focusing improving efforts among physicians providing comprehensive primary care
• promote the implementation of evidence-based practices in a more coordinated fashion
• accelerate development of basic system infrastructure and tools to monitor and improve population health management
• enhance the attractiveness of family medicine for practicing family physicians and medical students.

The program is being implemented in two phases. Phase I of the Performance & Diligence Indicators Program focuses on the establishment of Validated Patient Lists (VPL) during the 2009/10 fiscal year.  Phase II will introduce several clinical indicators in 2010.  VPLs are a critical starting point as the number of patients on the physician’s VPL will also be the denominator for some clinical indicators during Phase II of the program. 

For more information on the Performance & Diligence Indicators Program please email pdi@albertapci.ca or call 780.488.4350 or toll-free 1.866.714.5724.

The following links provide access to webcasts held in September 2009 when the program was first launched and provide additional information on the program:

The following links provide access to webcasts held in November 2009 and provide additional information on the program:

Deposit Information

Validated Patient List Process

Introduction Letter

Patient List Request Form

Just the Facts