BALTIMORE, Md.—February 10, 2009—Med-IQ and Humana have announced a collaboration to research the effect of a performance improvement educational initiative for physicians on the care delivered to diabetes patients nationwide.
Primary healthcare professionals are at the front line of diabetes care, and it is estimated that 20 percent of the patients they see each day have diabetes. To successfully manage diabetes patient health while overcoming clinical and practice management barriers, more than 3,300 primary care physicians nationwide registered to participate in Med-IQ’s complimentary continuing medical education (CME) series, Performance Improvement Strategies in Diabetes Care.
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In collaboration with Med-IQ, researchers at the University of Miami-Humana Health Services Research Center will conduct a high-quality study examining how knowledge gained through this educational activity influences the performance of physicians in the Humana network and, by extension, affects diabetes patient health.
Performance Improvement CME was developed in 2005 by two American Medical Association (AMA)-convened national task forces. It was introduced as a nationally standardized CME format to help physicians evaluate their clinical practice methods and quality of care compared with other specialists and national standards. Now in its second year, Performance Improvement Strategies in Diabetes Care is a three-stage CME initiative endorsed by The Endocrine Society. It allows physicians to assess their current performance, access multiplatform educational activities, apply their performance improvements to everyday practice, and reevaluate their practice changes. Physicians will earn 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ after completing the initiative.
"This research study has the potential to help physicians further assess their performance and diabetes patient outcomes," said Thomas Harkins, MA, MPH, project manager at the University of Miami-Humana Health Services Research Center. "We are pleased to be a part of this groundbreaking initiative."
Humana is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with regional and national networks of more than 450,000 physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, and ancillary care providers in almost every state. In its research, Humana will observe the care of diabetes patients treated by its network of physicians in the 12-month period prior to and after participation in this performance improvement education.
"This partnership with Humana will help us measure, in part, if we are accomplishing our mission to deliver education that brings measurable change to healthcare professional competency, with the ultimate goal of improving performance and patient outcomes," said Scott E. Weber, co-CEO of Med-IQ.
The Med-IQ/Humana collaboration also supports eight general Competency Areas for CME professionals as outlined by the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (ACME): Adult/Organizational Learning Principles; Educational Interventions; Performance Measurement; Systems Thinking; Partnering; Leadership; Administration/Management, and Self Assessment and Lifelong Learning.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with 10.6 million medical members. Humana offers a diversified portfolio of health insurance products and related services - through traditional and consumer-choice plans - to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals. Over its 45-year history, Humana has consistently seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio. More information regarding Humana is available on the company's Web site at www.humana.com.
About Med-IQ
Med-IQ, America's most respected continuing medical education (CME) company, is an accredited provider of CME that educates and inspires healthcare professionals through programs that deliver sophisticated outcomes-based educational designs with measurable results in professional competence and performance. Med-IQ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the California Board of Registered Nursing (CBRN), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing medical education to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, respectively. To learn more about us, visit www.Med-IQ.com. |
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