Doctors use CME, quality efforts to boost results

To cut medical errors and improve outcomes, a growing number of physicians are combining continuous quality improvement projects with directed continuing medical education activities.

By Jay Greene, AMNews staff. Dec. 17, 2001.

Over a year ago, Barbara Mierzwa asked 200 physicians affiliated with the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences if they would be interested in practice-based, outcomes-oriented research projects with their patients.

In exchange for collecting data from chart reviews, learning cutting-edge clinical practices and participating in educational activities, SUNY-Buffalo's Office of Continuing Medical Education offered to grant the physicians continuing medical education credits for specific parts of their projects, said Mierzwa, the medical school's CME director.

"Our CME office just stepped up and said we can partner with you in addition to helping you improve outcomes for your patients," Mierzwa said. "Whatever you choose to do, we can offer frosting on the cake in terms of credit."

Thomas Foels, MD, associate medical director of Independent Health, a 360,000-member HMO in Buffalo, took the university up on its offer. Dr. Foels had devised two quality management initiatives that he felt could have CME components. The first was an asthma management chart review initiative. The second was a project to improve accessibility of physicians by conducting more effective triage of telephone calls.

Not only does each project award CME credits, but Dr. Foels said the HMO also offers monetary awards to physicians who participate in the initiatives by including the exercise in the health plan's existing Quality Management Initiative Award program. Under QMIA, physicians earn about 10% of their overall office revenue, Dr. Foels said. [...]