Source: American Board of Family Medicine
Continued improvement in clinical practice is a critical hallmark of the commitment family physicians make to ensure they are providing the highest quality and most effective care to patients. Demonstration of performance of quality improvement (QI) activities in practice has been part of the continuous certification process since it was devised in 2004. The science behind, and support for, practice improvement (PI) activities has changed considerably since the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Board first developed the Performance in Practice Module (PPM) 14 years ago, at a time when limited resources existed for conducting and demonstrating clinical QI activities. For this reason, the ABFM introduced six disease-focused PPMs (diabetes, hypertension, asthma, depression, coronary artery disease, and heart failure), as well as a comprehensive module that includes 29 measures reflecting the Ambulatory Quality Alliance (AQA) “starter set,” in order to help Diplomates meet this requirement.
- An individual QI activity or participation in a group activity involving a single practice group, an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) or equivalent, or a group of practices within a health system, may be reported.
- The individual pathway works best for reporting of activities for 1-10 physicians. American Academy of Family Physician members can use this whether they see patients in a continuity setting, or if they are providing non-continuity episodic care (e.g., hospitalist, telemedicine, locums, urgent care, emergency department, etc.). If physicians are currently doing QI in practice, the process requires simply completing a short, online form describing the activity. There is no additional cost to do this beyond the ongoing certification fees. Please refer to the submission information for an explanation on what steps are needed to ensure that the QI activity it is eligible for approval by the ABFM.
- Organizations, or groups of more than 10 family physicians, may also apply for approval for an organizational QI project that will provide certification credit for anyone who is meaningfully participating in the effort. These projects may be ongoing and project teams may participate at different times. A designated contact for the organization is responsible for tracking and reporting participation to the ABFM. The organizational pathway only costs $100 per approved QI initiative, regardless of the number of physicians receiving credit.
- For the Self-Directed pathway for 1-10 physicians, Diplomates can simply login to their ABFM Physician Portfolio, select “Access Performance Improvement Activities” from the main screen, and choose the ABFM Self-Directed Performance Improvement Project: Clinical.
- For the Organizational option, visit this webpage for more information.
There are many additional PI options that Diplomates can complete, including AAFP-sponsored Performance Navigator activities and METRIC modules, NCQA recognition in several relevant areas, CPC+ participation, Bridges to Excellence recognition, PI activities from other member boards, and a host of approved options from local, state, regional, and national entities. Information about all of these activities can be found in the “Physician Portfolio” under “Performance Improvement Activities.”
For questions about how to meet the PI activity or use the new platform, please contact Ann Williamson or call 859.687.2503.