Qualitative study of in-kind incentives to improve healthcare quality in Belize: Is quality work better than wealth?

Background: There is a sparsity of knowledge of the specific mechanisms through which financial and non-financial incentives impact the performance of health teams. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by examining an in-kind incentives program for healthcare teams implemented in three districts in Belize (2012-2022) as part of the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative, which aimed to improve healthcare quality.

Methods: We performed a qualitative study to understand the mechanisms through which the in-kind incentive program supported quality improvement in Belize.