Abstract
High profile initiatives such as the incentive programme introduced by the Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the US1 and the new general practitioner contract in the UK2 highlight the enthusiasm of policy makers for using financial incentives as a way of improving the quality of care. This enthusiasm is understandable, given the burden of healthcare costs experienced by most countries. It makes sense to ensure that resources are targeted on buying desirable behaviours from health professionals and producing beneficial outcomes for patients.

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