Measuring physician productivity with work Relative Value Units (RVUs)

News flash! Physicians are more interested in medicine than coding.

No doctor undertook the rigors of medical school in order to be an expert coder. But, when residency ends, some physicians will find themselves looking at employment contracts in which their compensation will be determined in part by productivity.  Often, the first two years will be  salary-based but will transition in all or part based to compensation based on productivity in the later years.

• Physicians who work in health care organizations may find that their “work productivity” is measured in work Relative Value Units.
• For physicians with these types of contracts, here is an explanation of RVUs.
• And in larger organizations with risk contract, compensation may factor in complexity.