At a Glance / Aperçu

New RVG for Manitoba

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 155: 435
The Manitoba Medical Association (MMA) is developing a resource-based relative value guide (RVG) to reflect more accurately the human-resource and capital costs involved in providing medical services. The first steps included developing a consistent set of definitions to focus on the essential aspects of physicians' work, and organizing 31 "blocs of practice" to participate in the review.

RVG working groups were given definitions of direct patient care and support time to help them estimate how much time is spent on patient care. Activities such as travel and administrative work were to be excluded. Mental effort and judgement, technical skill or physical effort, and psychological stress were human-resource components used to estimate the intensity associated with providing a medical service. After reviewing original ratings of medical services, working groups will refine the ratings and "hardlink" unrated tariff items. In the MMA newsletter Inter-Com, committee chair Dr. William Rennie said the project offers a unique opportunity to update the fee structure and the rules that govern physician payment.


| CMAJ August 15, 1996 (vol 155, no 4) |