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BackNew Tool to Help Internists Review their Preventive Care Services
Philadelphia, PA, August 16, 2004 – The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) released a Clinical Preventive Services Practice Improvement Module, the fourth in a series of innovative self-evaluation tools. Certified internists who complete the module will earn credit toward renewing their certificate.
“This module gives a physician an easy way to compare his or her current practice with guidelines for prevention,” explained Dr. Daniel Duffy, ABIM’s Executive Vice President. Physicians who select the new Clinical Preventive Services module will complete a thorough review of how they help their patients in the early prevention and treatment of disease. The module guides physicians in selecting and implementing a specific plan to improve their practice performance. Dr. Duffy added, “The most innovative part of the module is the practical knowledge gained in exploring how office routines make or break a well-intentioned commitment to quality patient care.”
Practice Improvement Modules are computer-based tools that enable physicians to conduct a confidential self-evaluation of the medical care that they provide. Each module offers an opportunity for physicians to review current clinical practice guidelines and their own practice.
This new module includes web links to information about the nationally-established guidelines for preventive care and resources on ways to make changes in practice routines that may improve care. The Clinical Preventive Services module links to guidelines published by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, as well as resources focused on clinical practice, patients, and practice redesign.
Data collected and analyzed through these modules contain no personal identifiers and the entire process is fully compliant with HIPAA regulations.
In addition to credit toward recertification from the ABIM, physicians who complete a module will earn 20 Category One Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits from the American Medical Association.
ABIM’s first Practice Improvement Module, which focuses on preventive cardiology, was released in March 2003. Modules are also available for diabetes and asthma care. Modules under development will focus on hypertension, outpatient care of patients with heart failure, and inpatient care of patients with acute myocardial infarction (in conjunction with the American College of Cardiology). Long-term plans include developing modules for care of the vulnerable elderly, end-of-life care, oncology, and gastroenterology.
For additional information regarding ABIM's Practice Improvement Modules, see Improve Your Practice with PIMs.
About ABIM
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that grants board certification—a well accepted marker of physician quality—to internists and subspecialists. Certification is a rigorous, comprehensive program for evaluating physician knowledge, skills and attitudes to assure both patients and payers that a physician has achieved competence for practice in a given field. Individual physician certification results may be found at www.abim.org.
