AAFP Launches Second METRIC Module, Coronary Artery Disease: Improving Patient Care

LEAWOOD, Kan. – The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) announced the launch of a second METRIC module, Coronary Artery Disease: Improving Patient Care. Measuring, Evaluating and Translating Research Into Care (METRIC) is an online quality improvement program that was introduced in January of this year.

METRIC was developed to provide members an opportunity to participate in the new practice-based continuing medical education (CME) process, while at the same time fulfilling the American Board of Family Medicine’s requirements for Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV. The METRIC program helps improve the quality of care and enhances life-long learning among experienced family physicians.

According to a February 2005 report that appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine, health care quality decreases as doctor experience or age increases. The report found that doctors who were older or who had been in practice longer were less current with recent medical advances and also followed standards of care less closely. The report, entitled "Systematic Review: The Relationship between Clinical Experience and Quality of Health Care," concludes the need to develop more effective CME that helps keep doctors up to date.

METRIC aims to address many of the challenges identified in the study, by providing performance improvement activities that require physicians to assess their current practice using performance measures, implement interventions and assess performance change, evaluating its effect on their practice. The METRIC program is part of a larger commitment by the AAFP to provide CME that will have a positive impact on physicians’ practices and the quality of care provided to patients.

"Programs such as METRIC are key to life-long learning and developing a sustainable ‘quality improvement' culture," said Bruce Bagley, M.D., AAFP medical director of quality improvement. “Our goal is to teach family physicians how to do these kinds of interventions on an ongoing basis.”

Elizabeth G. Baxley, M.D., a family physician who beta-tested the new module, noted how the program could improve the quality of care in her practice. “It was great to be able to see where I had made progress and where I needed to continue to focus efforts,” she said. "The graphs in the practice assessment section are nice for me to see but my staff said this kind of data would really help them in assisting me with planned care and practice-based improvements."

The first module, Diabetes: Improving Patient Care, which launched in January 2005, has been well-received by members.

Module Pricing
The modules are available to AAFP members for $25 and to nonmembers for $50. Visit METRIC for more information.