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. 2020 Jul 13;21:142. doi: 10.1186/s12875-020-01208-8

Table 2.

The Impact of the QOF Mapped to the Ten Motivational Values

QOF modifications Synthesis of the main findings Influence on ten basic values [18]

Templates

Guidelines

Indicators

Governmental goals

(a) Loss of autonomy, control and ownership

Most papers described a sense of decreased clinical autonomy and loss of professionalism [39]. They also described a sense of micromanagement from above [28] and frequently cited the late communication about changes to the wider QOF and year-on-year variability in the occurrence and timing of changes to indicators as politically motivated [28, 39].

Congruent

Power

Conformity

Security

Achievement,

Conflict

Self-direction

Stimulation

Benevolence, Universalism Hedonism, Tradition

Raised standards in basic care

Drove provider care

Systemized and standardised care

Neglected areas of care targeted

(b) Incentivised conformity

In the papers reviewed professionals recognized that QOF had led to considerable extra income at the practice level [29]. As the owners of their organizations, economic factors were more salient and apparent in principals’ accounts. Subsequently the finance and achieving maximum income became an increasingly key issue in participants’ beliefs about QOF and their adherence to QOF work [28].

Congruent

Achievement

Conformity

Security

Power

Tradition

Conflict

Self-direction

Stimulation

Benevolence

Hedonism

Universalism

Focus on chronic disease management

Certain aspects of professionalism threatened

Indicators conflict -patient advocate

(c) Continuity of care, holism and the caring role of clinicians in primary care

Although participants in the papers reviewed emphasised the importance of traditional general practice values, such as holism and continuity, the majority felt that the 2004 changes had negatively impacted on these values. Participants related that patients now experienced less continuity with their GPs [41].

Congruent

Conformity

Power

Security

Achievement

power

Conflict

Benevolence

Universalism

Self-direction

Stimulation

Tradition

Information technology (IT)

Practice managers

Increased skill mix

Monitoring systems

Recording performance

Surveillance

(d) Structural & organisational changes

All the practices that were studied in the papers included in the review had changed their modes of operation in response to the QOF [27, 29, 43, 45].

Role of monitoring compliance with the coding regime which feeds into the contract monitoring system and of highlighting deficient coding and recording performance amongst staff, contributed to on-one-hand to increased surveillance and on the other to the doctors sense of self-worth [45].

Congruent

Power

Conformity

Achievement

Security

Stimulation

Self-direction

Universalism

Conflict

Tradition

Benevolence

Hedonism