New program rewards improvement with educational credit and meets ABFM Maintenance of Certification requirements
LEAWOOD, Kan. – People who suffer from asthma may soon notice a difference in the way their doctors help them manage the condition. Thanks to a new performance improvement module launched by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), doctors can now complete a “Measuring, Evaluating and Translating Research Into Care” (METRIC) program, which can help them significantly improve asthma care for the more than 20 million Americans who suffer from the disease.
The METRIC program consists of a series of performance improvement modules, focusing primarily on single disease conditions. Asthma: Improving Patient Care is the third METRIC module the AAFP has developed. In 2005, it launched modules for diabetes and coronary artery disease. Since last year, more than 800 family physicians nationwide have participated in a METRIC module. The AAFP will continue the series by launching two new modules each year.
The METRIC online performance improvement programs are two-fold: they use a new type of continuing medical education (CME) by giving physicians educational credit for improving the processes by which they care for patients, and are designed to fulfill the American Board of Family Medicine’s (ABFM) Part IV requirement for Maintenance of Certification.
The Asthma Module includes the following components:
AAFP Launches New METRIC Module to Improve Asthma Care
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 06, 2006
Contact:
Amanda Holt
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237, Ext. 5223
aholt@aafp.org
- a practice assessment survey;
- a chart audit of 10 patient records on evidence-based performance measures using an online data collection form;
- a feedback report comparing the participant’s survey results to peers and a baseline of their performance measurement data;
- an action plan, including education opportunities, interventions, tools and instruction for implementation;
- a second chart audit of ten records on the same performance measures to determine if improvements have been made six months after implementation; and
- a final report of the baseline performance that compares measurement data before and after implementation of the action plan.
After this final step, the ABFM will be notified of a participant’s successful completion of Part IV, and the participant will receive 20 CME credits.
The METRIC performance improvement initiative promotes an evidence-based physician’s practice and strengthens clinical information systems. It encourages physicians to develop and implement self-designed programs to improve quality of care in their practices.
“Performance improvement will serve physicians well as the nation’s health care system steams toward pay-for-performance strategies,” said Bruce Bagley, M.D., AAFP medical director of quality improvement. “Asthma: Improving Patient Care offers help with a chronic disease family physicians deal with every day,” he said.
Module Pricing
The modules will be available to AAFP members for $25 and to nonmembers for $50. Visit METRIC for more information for more information.
The METRIC performance improvement initiative promotes an evidence-based physician’s practice and strengthens clinical information systems. It encourages physicians to develop and implement self-designed programs to improve quality of care in their practices.
“Performance improvement will serve physicians well as the nation’s health care system steams toward pay-for-performance strategies,” said Bruce Bagley, M.D., AAFP medical director of quality improvement. “Asthma: Improving Patient Care offers help with a chronic disease family physicians deal with every day,” he said.
Module Pricing
The modules will be available to AAFP members for $25 and to nonmembers for $50. Visit METRIC for more information for more information.
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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 105,900 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.
Approximately one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 240 million office visits each year — nearly 87 million more than the next largest medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.
To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s award-winning consumer Web site, www.FamilyDoctor.org.
