First came diabetes, then coronary artery disease and now asthma. They're all topics covered by AAFP's performance improvement initiative known as METRIC -- Measuring, Evaluating and Translating Research Into Care -- which launched its third module Jan 31.
METRIC on the Move
AAFP's Performance Improvement Initiative Launches Asthma Module
By News Staff
2/3/2006
Asthma: Improving Patient Care offers help with a chronic disease that family physicians deal with frequently, according to Bruce Bagley, M.D., AAFP's medical director of quality improvement. "Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children, and many adults have the condition, as well. Managing this disease is part of what family physicians do every day," he said.
The METRIC initiative was designed as a performance improvement initiative that could link evidence-based medical practice with education to change physician behavior and measure outcomes. METRIC's novel approach of involving physicians in quality improvement work in their practices will serve those physicians well as the nation's health care system steams toward pay-for-performance payment strategies, said Bagley. The program also offers CME credit to physicians for completing practice-based performance measurement projects.
The number of METRIC participants rose steadily in 2005, beginning with the launch of the diabetes module in January and followed by the coronary artery disease module kickoff in July.
"This program is successful because it's a great idea," said Bagley.
Of particular note is the increased participation of family medicine residency programs in METRIC -- from a handful in the spring of 2005 -- to more than 20 today, said Bagley.
METRIC offers these residents the option of working independently or in small groups as they move through the various elements of a module -- be it collecting patient data or implementing interventions to improve patient care. Successful completion of a METRIC module by a residency program demonstrates to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education that the residents are doing quality improvement in practice, said Bagley.
Participation in the METRIC initiative also can help FPs fulfill the requirement for Part IV -- the performance-in-practice module -- of the American Board of Family Medicine's Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians, better known as MC-FP.
The METRIC asthma module was made possible thanks to an educational grant from Schering-Plough Corp.
The METRIC initiative was designed as a performance improvement initiative that could link evidence-based medical practice with education to change physician behavior and measure outcomes. METRIC's novel approach of involving physicians in quality improvement work in their practices will serve those physicians well as the nation's health care system steams toward pay-for-performance payment strategies, said Bagley. The program also offers CME credit to physicians for completing practice-based performance measurement projects.
The number of METRIC participants rose steadily in 2005, beginning with the launch of the diabetes module in January and followed by the coronary artery disease module kickoff in July.
"This program is successful because it's a great idea," said Bagley.
Of particular note is the increased participation of family medicine residency programs in METRIC -- from a handful in the spring of 2005 -- to more than 20 today, said Bagley.
METRIC offers these residents the option of working independently or in small groups as they move through the various elements of a module -- be it collecting patient data or implementing interventions to improve patient care. Successful completion of a METRIC module by a residency program demonstrates to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education that the residents are doing quality improvement in practice, said Bagley.
Participation in the METRIC initiative also can help FPs fulfill the requirement for Part IV -- the performance-in-practice module -- of the American Board of Family Medicine's Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians, better known as MC-FP.
The METRIC asthma module was made possible thanks to an educational grant from Schering-Plough Corp.
