AHEC Continuing Medical Education

RSCPerformance Improvement

Charlotte AHEC's Continuing Medical Education (CME) team can award AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for performance improvement (PI) and quality improvement (QI) activities. CME can assist you in implementing PI/QI activities in your practice. A full range of PI/QI resources and services includes:

  • PI/QI activity selection, measurement, and evaluation
  • Disease management modules
  • Evidence-based practices
  • Provider toolkits and patient education materials
  • Outreach services with other community-based agencies
  • Certification for CME credit for physicians and CE credit for other office staff

Individual physicians, private practices, groups of practices, and/or those working directly with CME on quality initiatives may apply for credit for activities that address "...any facet (structure, process, or outcome) of the practice of medicine with direct implications for patient care. The measures selected guide the physician in choosing a practice improvement and evaluating its efficacy must be evidence-based and well designed." (American Medical Association).

Please note the ACCME standards are rigorous regarding academic need and measurable outcomes. A submitted application does not guarantee credit. All activities must demonstrate an impact on physician competence, physician performance, or patient outcomes. CME will guide you through the application and planning process to ensure that ACCME expectations are met and to see if your proposed activity qualifies for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Please contact us before submitting an application. Details

Mary Webster
704.512.6545 phone
Mary.Webster@carolinashealthcare.org

Details for PI/QI Activities

As defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) physicians may receive up to twenty (20) hours per project of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for participation in practice-based performance improvement activities. Incremental credit of five (5) Category 1 credits for PI/QI activities can be awarded for the completion of each of the three stages below (A, B, and C). Completion of a full PI/QI cycle is not required. Physicians can enter at any of the three stages. The AMA categorizes such initiatives into three stages:

STAGE A Learning from Current Practice Performance Assessment

Assess current practice using identified performance measures, either through chart review or some other appropriate mechanism. Participating physicians should be actively involved in data collection and analysis.

STAGE B Learning from Application of PI to Patient Care

Implement an intervention based on the performance measures selected in Stage A, using suitable tracking tools (e.g., flow sheets). Participating physicians should receive guidance on appropriate parameters for applying an intervention and assessing performance change, specific to the performance measure and the physician's patient base (e.g., how many patients with a given condition, seen for how long, will produce a valid assessment?).

STAGE C Learning for the Evaluation of the PI Effort

Re-evaluate and reflect on performance in practice (Stage B) by comparing to the assessment done in Stage A. Summarize any practice, process and/or outcome changes that resulted from conducting the PI/QI activity.

Physicians completing, in sequence all three stages (A-C) of a structured PI activity, may receive an additional five (5) AMA-PRA Category 1 Credits™, for a maximum of twenty (20) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. This credit allocation acknowledges the best learning is associated with completing a well conceived PI/QI activity.

Additional credit (beyond the maximum of 20 credits) can be awarded on an hour-for hour basis for physicians participating in planning or steering committees in the design of the PI/QI activities. Necessary documentation for this PI/QI "pre-phase" will include purpose/general description of project, educational materials such as journal articles and presentations, agendas and meeting minutes, a roster of participants, and an evaluation of each session.

Credit can be awarded for PI/QI activities designed and documented (with or without assistance from Charlotte AHEC) by an individual physician. The physician must play an active role in the PI/QI learning activity and an application must be completed by the physician. PI/QI activities consist of and credit is awarded by:

  • Identifying a question in practice
  • "Measuring" own performance in practice
  • Participating in or initiating an education experience to alter one's knowledge, competence, or performance
  • Integrating learning into patient care
  • Evaluating the performance improvement effort as part of the PI/QI activity