Educational Resources • View Med-IQ’s VTE courses • Participate in Med-IQ's VTE PI CME initiative • To learn more about Med-IQ's customizable PI and QI CME platforms for medical societies and hospitals, e-mail info@med-iq.com.

BALTIMORE, MD—June 18, 2010—Med-IQ, an ACCME-accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME), and the Duke University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Medical Education (DukeCME) recently collaborated on a hospital-specific, quality improvement (QI) initiative for surgical care teams on the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing surgical procedures.

Although the risk of VTE in patients undergoing surgery varies according to the type and duration of surgery, patient risk factors, and the extent of postoperative immobilization, VTE is a frequent postoperative complication and the most common preventable cause of hospital death in the United States. Death from VTE is more common than deaths from breast cancer, automobile accidents, and AIDS combined.

Despite the availability of national guidelines and safe, effective pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic measures, appropriate VTE risk assessment and prophylaxis is underused due to a number of systematic and individual barriers. Up to 40% of at-risk surgical patients may not be receiving guideline-recommended prophylaxis.

To implement positive change at the institutional level, Med-IQ and DukeCME sponsored a complimentary, certified CME and QI activity on VTE prophylaxis at a community hospital in Florida. Crew Resource Management and the Prevention of VTE in Surgery combined evidence-based information on VTE prophylaxis with the airline industry's unique training method—Crew Resource Management (CRM) and team-building techniques—to enhance practice behavior and improve medical safety. This first of its kind educational initiative was multi-supported through unrestricted educational grants from sanofi-aventis U.S., and Ortho-McNeil, a Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, administered by Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

Med-IQ and DukeCME conducted a comprehensive study examining the impact of knowledge gained from this QI activity on VTE prophylaxis rates and other related surgical patient outcomes at the Florida hospital; outcomes data from this QI initiative will be released later this year.

“The overall goal of this hospital-specific QI initiative was to improve practice behavior and patient safety by implementing risk stratification and assessment of all patients undergoing surgery, as well as instituting appropriate guideline-recommended VTE prophylaxis to reduce the incidence of VTE following surgery. The preliminary data from this QI CME initiative is indicating that we accomplished our goal” said Victor F. Tapson, MD, Professor of Medicine at the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

CRM was developed in the 1980s by NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration as a means of achieving high levels of safety in the aviation industry. CRM teaches leadership responsibilities, methods for overcoming barriers to communication, and strategies for functioning well as a team in an effort to reduce human errors. CRM has successfully achieved a “zero-accident” standard in the aviation industry.

“CRM can help facilitate a culture of medical safety within hospitals among healthcare professionals,” said Pete Sheldon, Vice President of Grant Development at Med-IQ. “By integrating lessons learned in the aviation industry, the program takes a unique approach to training; it teaches improved leadership, communication, and team-building skills among physicians and other key personnel in an effort to enhance patient care and eliminate preventable medical errors.”

Success of this education has led Med-IQ and DukeCME to expand the VTE QI series into new hospitals in 2010 and offer hospitals this QI education in acute coronary syndromes (ACS). For more information on how your hospital or organization can participate in a future QI CME series, e-mail info@med-iq.com.

About DukeCME

DukeCME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) as a provider of continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. DukeCME’s mission is to assist practicing physicians, pharmacists, advanced practice providers, and other healthcare professionals in the translation, diffusion, and application of evidence-based knowledge to improve patient safety and enhance clinical outcomes. DukeCME staff collaborates with Duke faculty, clinical departments, and other units to identify educational needs and to design, implement, evaluate, and document educational conferences and initiatives. To learn more, visit http://cme.mc.duke.edu.

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 activities 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, visit www.Med-IQ.com.

For more information, contact:

Catherine B. Mullaney, MHA
Vice President, Educational Partnerships
Med-IQ
443 543 5101
info@med-iq.com