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BALTIMORE, MD—December 10, 2013—Although preventable, osteoporosis is a widespread disease that is often underrecognized and undertreated. To optimally manage osteoporosis, clinicians must have up-to-date, practical knowledge of strategies for effectively screening, diagnosing, and treating osteoporosis to reduce fracture and mortality rates.
In 2011, Med-IQ, an award-winning, ACCME-accredited provider of continuing medical education (CME), launched a performance improvement (PI) CME initiative in osteoporosis to address these needs. The outcomes of this initiative were published in the October issue of Journal of Women’s Health. This published manuscript represents Med-IQ’s 20th such publication in the area of performance and quality improvement.
"Healthcare in the United States is evolving toward a more focused approach on quality of care and improvement in patient outcomes. As an organization, Med-IQ is dedicated to bringing CME to the core of this movement by providing accessible, practice-focused CME/CE interventions that are timely, practice-based, effective, and relevant," said William A. Mencia, MD, CCMEP, Vice President of Education and Medical Affairs at Med-IQ. “The improvements in clinical outcomes seen in this activity and the recognition by the Journal in publishing these results in their October issue further validate the value and importance of CME’s role in improving patient care.”
A Clinician Performance Initiative to Improve Quality of Care for Patients With Osteoporosis
Authors:
Susan L. Greenspan, MD
John P. Bilezikian, MD
Nelson B. Watts, MD
Carolyn A. Berry, PhD
William A. Mencia, MD
Stephanie A. Stowell, MPhil
Rachel Bongiorno Karcher, PharmD
The goal of the 2011-2012 Osteoporosis PI CME initiative was to provide primary care clinicians who are involved in the care of patients with osteoporosis the opportunity to assess their practice methods against evidence-based goals and standards, as well as 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. This activity was approved through the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Approved Quality Improvement (AQI) Pathway and was eligible for 20 points toward the Self-Evaluation of Practice Performance requirement of Maintenance of Certification (MOC).
More than 1,000 healthcare professionals enrolled in the activity. Through evaluation of 1,875 patient charts, participants demonstrated clinically significant improvements in the following:
- Use of FRAX
- Assessment of fall risk
- Assessment of calcium and vitamin D levels
- Assessment of medication adherence
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2011-2012 Osteoporosis PI CME Participant Testimonials |
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“I have more useful information to document treatment, and patients now comply better because they have a better understanding of our goals.” |
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“Communication with patients and education were enhanced, particularly in the initiative of reviewing daily calcium intake.” |
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“Made me address issues and questions not previously discussed with my patients.” |
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“Identified one additional case of osteoporosis and several cases of osteopenia not previously documented or suspected.” |
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“More patients were identified and secondary causes of osteoporosis were diagnosed because of [my] improvement plan.” |
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“This was an excellent educational experience and will help me to continue to provide excellent care to my patients.” |
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The success of the 2011-2012 series led to the implementation of an additional Osteoporosis PI CME series. Enrollment is currently open for Performance Improvement Strategies in Osteoporosis: 2013-2014 Series. Interested healthcare professionals can register by visiting www.pi-iq.com/osteoporosis2, e-mailing concierge@med-iq.com, or calling (toll-free) 866 858 7434.
Journal of Women’s Health delivers cutting-edge advancements in diagnostic procedures, therapeutic protocols for the management of diseases, and innovative research in gender-based biology that affects patient care and treatment. The Journal’s audience includes physicians, nurse practitioners, women's health specialists, gynecologists, obstetricians, oncologists, and cardiologists, among others.
To access this article in the October 2013 issue of Journal of Women’s Health, click here.
To speak with a Med-IQ representative about PI CME initiatives, please contact Catherine Mullaney at 443 543 5101 or cbretz@med-iq.com.
Performance Improvement Strategies in Osteoporosis: 2011-2012 Series was approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and was supported by an educational grant from Lilly USA, LLC.* (For further information concerning Lilly grant funding visit lillygrantoffice.com.) (*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.
For more information, contact:
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