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News Release

For Immediate Release

Psychiatrists, Primary Care Professionals to Improve the Care of Clinically Depressed Patients Through ABPN MOC-Approved Education

Performance Improvement
Strategies in
Clinical Depression

The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) has reviewed Performance Improvement Strategies in Clinical Depression and has approved it as a Performance in Practice (PIP) and CME program—part of the overall ABPN Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

Participants can use their data from this PI CME activity to complete ABIM's Self-Directed PIM and earn credit for ABIM MOC.

Enroll in Clinical Depression PI CME

Download Practical Strategies for Clinical Depression Management

Learn More About Clinical Depression

Baltimore, Md.—November 15, 2011— To help psychiatrists, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants improve the outcomes of patients with clinical depression, Med-IQ, an ACCME-accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME), and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), are pleased to announce the availability of their new, complimentary performance improvement (PI) CME activity in clinical depression:

Performance Improvement Strategies in Clinical Depression

This AMA-standardized initiative has been approved for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Participants can also use their data from this PI CME activity to complete the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Self-Directed PIM and earn credit for ABIM MOC.

FACULTY CHAIR
Michael Thase, MD   Michael Thase, MD
Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Chief, Division of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Treatment and Research Program
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA
 

Depression is one of the most common chronic conditions seen in the primary care setting, with nearly 17 percent of adults meeting criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) during their lifetime. Despite available therapeutic options, the treatment of clinical depression is often inadequate; as many as 50 percent of patients who initiate antidepressant treatment do not respond to therapy, and up to 85 percent of patients with MDD have recurrent depressive episodes.

“This ABPN MOC-approved education is needed to help healthcare professionals become more confident in identifying depression and implementing safe and effective treatments to ensure patient adherence,” said Michael Thase, MD, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Chief of the Division of Mood and Anxiety Disorders Treatment and Research Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

With healthcare professionals busier than ever and requirements for MOC Part IV becoming more complex, it is important for clinicians to select PI activities that are effective and practical uses of their time. Med-IQ is dedicated to the ongoing enhancement of its PI systems and processes to support clinicians and enable them to participate in PI CME while they practice. Participation in Performance Improvement Strategies in Clinical Depression is simple, and enrollment is complimentary.

Participating clinicians can earn 20 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ while developing practical process improvement strategies to screen patients for depression, design effective therapy strategies, ensure appropriate follow-up after treatment initiation, and assess treatment adherence. Med-IQ's concierge team is available to assist participants at any time by answering questions and providing step-by-step instructions, tips, and reminders, as well as data entering to prevent interruptions to patient care. All information clinicians provide is confidential and no patient-identifying information is collected. Med-IQ's concierge team has assisted more than 11,000 PI CME participants.

“We are pleased to collaborate with NCQA to provide this board-approved education in clinical depression that will help psychiatrists and primary care professionals assess and improve their current practice as it relates to guideline- and evidence-based performance measures,” said William A. Mencia, MD, CCMEP, Vice President of Education and Medical Affairs at Med-IQ.

What is PI CME?
PI CME has been recognized as an important component of continuing professional development and may answer multiple credentialing and reporting needs. Med-IQ is a leader in providing AMA-standardized, certified PI CME initiatives and currently offers ABIM MOC-approved PI CME in diabetes and osteoporosis, and certified PI CME in collaboration with Duke University School of Medicine in venous thromboembolism (VTE).


Participate conveniently while you practice!  
    Stage A
Assess
  Assess your current practice against evidence-based goals and standards, as well as your peers' practice  
    Stage B
Apply
  Develop and follow your own improvement plan  
    Stage C
Evaluate
  Reassess your practice to measure the effects of your improvement plan  
               

Performance Improvement Strategies in Clinical Depression is sponsored by Med-IQ in collaboration with NCQA, approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, and supported by an educational grant from Lilly USA, LLC. For further information concerning Lilly grant funding visit www.lillygrantoffice.com.

For more information or to enroll, call (toll-free) 866 858 7434, e-mail concierge@med-iq.com, or visit www.pi-iq.com/depression.

About Med-IQ

Med-IQ, recipient of the Alliance for CME’s 2011 William Campbell Felch Award for Research in CME, is an accredited provider of education that 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 about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, connect with us on LinkedIn, and visit our YouTube channel.

For more information, contact:

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

Med-IQ: Inspiring Medical Education