But sometimes the incentives are so small, so lame, so pitiful that they’re just a joke. For example, the American Physicians Assurance Corp., one of the biggest medical liability insurers in the country that isn’t owned by doctors, has launched a contest to entice Michigan doctors to curtial malpractice suits.

According to this AP story in the Detroit News:

One company official tells the Detroit News that “good risk management contributes to the quality of patient care and also reduces the risk of lawsuits.”

The official also says it wanted to, “give physicians a way to reward their staff for jumping through all of those hoops.”

So what’s the big prize? The top four doctors get dinner and a plaque.