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BALTIMORE, MD—September 10, 2013—Although improvements in the recognition and management of multiple sclerosis (MS) have been made in recent years, challenges remain due to the complex nature of the disease. To most effectively manage MS, clinicians must have up-to-date, practical knowledge of strategies for effectively using and monitoring disease-modifying therapies, assessing and managing the myriad of symptomatic complications associated with MS, and providing effective counseling and assessment of patient knowledge and treatment adherence.
In 2010, Med-IQ, an award-winning, ACCME-accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME), launched a performance improvement (PI) CME initiative in MS to address these needs. Neurology: Clinical Practice®, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology, published the outcomes of this initiative in its June 2013 issue.
Enhancing the Quality of Care for Patients With Multiple Sclerosis Through Performance Improvement CME
Authors:
Bruce A. Cohen, MD
Ben W. Thrower, MD
Carolyn A. Berry, PhD
Stephanie A. Stowell, MPhil
William A. Mencia, MD
Rachel B. Karcher, PharmD
The goal of the 2010 MS PI CME initiative was to provide neurologists, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who are involved in the care of patients with MS the opportunity to assess their practice methods against current evidence, expert consensus, and their peers’ practice in an effort to identify areas of improvement to enhance patient care.
The activity, which was free of charge to participants, followed the American Medical Association (AMA) PI CME model and included a three-stage process in which participants conducted retrospective patient chart reviews in Stage A, developed a personalized practice improvement plan in Stage B, and conducted a second set of retrospective chart reviews in Stage C. The activity was approved as part of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology's (ABPN) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program and met the Board's Performance in Practice (PIP) requirements.
More than 675 neurologists and other healthcare professionals enrolled in the activity. Through evaluation of 1,130 patient charts, participants demonstrated significant improvements in the following:
- Monitoring and assessing disease-related complications (eg, cognitive dysfunction, bowel/genitourinary dysfunction, pain, and fall risk)
- Treatment of cognitive dysfunction
- Assessing adherence to therapy
- Monitoring of treatment-related adverse events
- Providing disease-related educational materials
2010-2011 MS PI CME Participant Testimonials
"After the initial assessment of areas that required improvement, I incorporated this knowledge into my practice and noticed an immediate impact regarding patient care and satisfaction."
“I am improving communicating with my patients and trying to be sure that I ask each patient specifically about their symptoms at each visit.”
"I think this has improved my practice and the care I provide to my patients."
The success of the 2010 series led to the implementation of two additional MS PI CME series. Enrollment is currently open for the latest series, Performance Improvement Strategies in Multiple Sclerosis: 2013-2014. Interested healthcare professionals can register by visiting www.pi-iq.com/multiplesclerosis or by calling (toll-free) 866 858 7434.
"Med-IQ is dedicated to improving healthcare quality in the United States by providing accessible, practice-focused CME/CE interventions that are timely, effective, and relevant to clinicians’ needs and address issues that will lead to better patient care," said William A. Mencia, MD, CCMEP, Vice President of Education and Medical Affairs at Med-IQ. “We are pleased to be able to provide comprehensive enduring education in multiple sclerosis that has resulted in improvements in clinician performance.”
Neurology: Clinical Practice offers peer-reviewed, timely updates in clinical neurology, plus helpful analyses of office-based and health policy issues. The focus is on the day-to-day needs of practicing neurologists. Regular features include: approaches to the patient with a variety of neurologic conditions; case-based articles on ethical issues; "Five New Things" updates on diseases and disorders; office-based issues and practice management tips; and health policy discussions.
To learn more about this article in the June 2013 issue of Neurology: Clinical Practice, please visit
http://cp.neurology.org/content/3/3/240.short
To speak with a Med-IQ representative about PI CME initiatives, please contact Catherine Mullaney at 443 543 5101 or cbretz@med-iq.com.
This activity was approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and was supported by an educational grant from Teva Neuroscience. (Note: commercial supporter name has changed since the time of grant approval.)
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About Med-IQ
Med-IQ, America's most respected provider of continuing medical education (CME), inspires healthcare professionals through award-winning 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.
Med-IQ, a leader in the development of performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) CME initiatives, has been recognized by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions for our excellence in CE research (William Campbell Felch Award 2013, 2011), educational collaborations (2013), outstanding CME outcomes assessment (2012), and exceptional leadership (Leadership Award 2013, President’s Award 2012). To learn more about Med-IQ, visit www.Med-IQ.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.
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