Philadelphia, PA, March 15, 2011 – Eight new quality improvement (QI) activities have been approved by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for credit in Maintenance of Certification as part of its Approved Quality Improvement (AQI) Pathway.
The new QI activities include:
- American College of Cardiology's Cardiology Practice Improvement Pathway
- Society of Hospital Medicine's
- Project BOOST (Better Outcomes for Older Adults through Safe Transitions)
- Venous Thromboembolism Prevention Collaborative (VTE PC) Mentored Implementation Program
- University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine's
- PennCME: Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Management of COPD in the Primary Care Setting
- PennCME/BestPractice Type 2 Diabetes Performance Improvement Module
- New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute's HIVQUAL-US
- Health Partners Medical Group's Care Model Process
- Rocky Mountain Health Plan’s Colorado Beacon Consortium Performance Improvement and Practice Transformation Program
Research has shown that fewer than 30% of physicians examine their own performance data, and physicians' ability to independently self-assess and self-evaluate is poor. Physicians in ABIM's Maintenance of Certification program must apply quality measurement to their practice and then use the resulting data to improve care. The AQI Pathway helps reduce the redundancy in physician reporting, giving them credit for quality improvement activities that they are already doing that meet ABIM standards.
“If physicians are already engaged in rigorous quality improvement activities through their hospital or another organization, we want them to receive Maintenance of Certification credit for that work,” said Elizabeth Blaylock, Vice President of PIM Development at the American Board of Internal Medicine. “These organizations have built programs that support physicians in their efforts to measure and improve patient care.”
ABIM approves structured QI activities sponsored by health care organizations that:
- Focus on clinical topics related to a national priority, regional initiative or local gap in patient care and relevant to ABIM-certified physicians;
- Utilize nationally recognized and/or evidence-based performance measures;
- Identify specific organizational-level and activity-level goals and objectives;
- Incorporate robust QI resources and/or tools directly related to the program objectives;
- Require sufficient and active participation by physicians in all stages of the activity; and
- Include a strong infrastructure and resources to support and monitor the activity.
The components of the ABIM MOC program reflect the guidelines of the American Board of Medical Specialties and encompass the six general competencies established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. In addition, the program includes the practice performance requirement of passing a secure examination in internal medicine or subspecialty, self-assessment of medical knowledge and holding a license in good standing. See full requirements for MOC.
ABIM Board Certified Doctors Make a Difference
Internists and subspecialists who earn and maintain board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) differentiate themselves every day through their specialized knowledge and commitment to continual learning in service of their patients. Established as an independent nonprofit more than 80 years ago, ABIM continues to be driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. Visit ABIM's blog to learn more and follow ABIM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.