BALTIMORE, Md.—December 17, 2009—Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States (US). Despite a slow decline in the morbidity and mortality associated with CRC, the American Cancer Society estimates that close to 50,000 Americans will die from the disease this year.

Oncologists and other healthcare professionals nationwide who manage patients with CRC are enrolling in Performance Improvement Strategies in CRC, a new, complimentary performance improvement continuing medical education (PI CME) initiative designed specifically to help participants overcome practice barriers, evaluate clinical practice methods according to board-specific competencies, and successfully manage CRC patient health.

“Provided in collaboration with Oncology Today™, this initiative will offer oncology practices nationwide resources to self-assess, apply, and evaluate their unique performance improvements to optimize CRC patient care,” said Thomas H. Cartwright, MD, Co-Chairman of US Oncology GI Research and faculty expert for the CRC PI CME initiative.

Faculty

Thomas H. Cartwright, MD
Co-Chairman, US Oncology GI Research
Medical Oncologist
Ocala Oncology Center
Ocala, FL

John L. Marshall, MD
Professor of Medicine and Oncology
Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Georgetown University Hospital
Associate Director, Clinical Research
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
Washington, DC

PI CME, the AMA performance improvement CME model, has been recognized as an important component of a physicians continuing professional development and may answer multiple credentialing and reporting needs for physicians.

“As maintenance of certification becomes increasingly important to healthcare practitioners, this PI CME initiative is a valuable tool that offers convenient access to evidence-based PI CME, designed specifically to improve the practice of care of patients with colorectal cancer” said William A. Mencia, MD, Vice President of Education & Medical Affairs for Med-IQ.

Participation in CRC PI CME is simple. Healthcare professionals who complete the below stages in succession will earn 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Each stage can be completed online or with the help of the Med-IQ concierge team, who can explain the initiative and provide tips to make the process more convenient.

Stage A
Self-assess by comparing current CRC practice with national benchmarks, performance guidelines, and data submitted by peers.

Stage B
Develop and follow a plan for sustained improvement in CRC patient care.

Stage C
Reevaluate processes for CRC management by comparing past performance with current performance in implementing guideline-based CRC management.

Additional educational resources are available, including a certified, practical guide for CRC performance improvement, and live Community of Practice audioconferences with faculty experts. Participants can claim credits on-demand at www.pi-iq.com/crc.

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. We are a leader in the development of performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) CME initiatives. To learn more about us, visit www.Med-IQ.com.

For more information, contact:

Catherine B. Mullaney, MHA
Vice President, Audience Development
and Educational Outcomes
Med-IQ
443 543 5154
info@med-iq.com

Provided in collaboration with Oncology Today™.