What does the PQRS program primarily encourage?

The PQRS program, or Physician Quality Reporting System, was designed to promote the quality of care provided to patients. The primary focus is on improving healthcare outcomes by encouraging healthcare professionals to report on a variety of quality measures. This initiative fosters a culture of continuous quality improvement within medical practice. By linking reimbursement to performance on these measures, the program incentivizes providers to enhance their practices and focus on delivering better health outcomes for their patients.

While other options address important aspects of healthcare, such as cost reduction, medical coding standardization, and patient outreach, they do not encapsulate the main goal of PQRS, which is fundamentally about elevating the quality of care received by patients. The emphasis on reporting specific quality measures directly correlates with better patient management and improved healthcare outcomes overall.