A three-year pay-for-performance pilot program improved the quality of patient care at hospitals, according to program results. But the pilot is an imperfect model, hospitals participating in the pilot found.

Some hospital administrators say the program focuses too heavily on whether certain treatments are delivered rather than considering improvements in patient outcomes, The New York Times reported. The pilot could ultimately have an impact on pay-for-performance models in long-term care.

Launched in October 2003, the project includes 266 hospitals in 38 states. Under the program, hospitals can earn bonuses if they rank among the top 20% in providing specified treatments in at least one of five areas of patient care. Participating hospitals overall experienced nearly 1,300 fewer deaths in treating heart attack patients, and they generally have scored higher on quality measures than other U.S. hospitals.