121Mireille Kingma • Can Financial Incentive Influence Medical Practice? Original Article Can Financial Incentive Influence Medical Practice?

effective utilization of human resources is thus an objective of paramount importance. Using economic incentives and disincen-tives to direct individuals ’ energies and behaviour is common practice in all work settings, of which the health care system is no exception. While money may not appear in the literature as a critical human need, it is often assumed as “instrumental in satisfying each and every one of the needs, from hunger to self-actualization”(1). This article summarises a literature review undertaken to identify financial incentives/ disincentives (including remuneration strategies) relevant o medical personnel (i.e. doctors), looking at their objectives and documented outcomes. Three major data base systems wer