Getting Started

The Hospital-Based Practice Improvement Module (PIM) is a self-evaluation tool designed to provide you with an opportunity to learn how to improve quality for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or congestive heart failure (CHF). Links to guidelines for AMI, CAP and CHF are available by clicking the "Web Links" button to the right. This PIM allows you to use existing data collected by your hospital for reporting to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The data can either be obtained from your hospital’s quality improvement department or at the CMS website at .

Because teamwork is essential to successful efforts in quality improvement, we strongly encourage you to complete this module in conjuction with an interdisciplinary quality improvement team.  Your hospital may already have an interdisciplinary team working in one of these three areas. Check with your hospital quality improvement department and/or the department of internal medicine if you are unsure if such a team(s) exists. If a team does not exist, we suggest meeting with your quality improvement department and internal medicine departmental leaders to consider assembling a team to help implement an improvement process based on opportunities for change identified in this PIM.

IMPORTANT!  Please provide the ABIM with your current e-mail address at www.abim.org/online. The ABIM will communicate with you by e-mail during the process of completing this module.

  Click underlined statements throughout the module for useful information.



Completing the Module
   
  1. Enter Performance Data Choose a condition for review (AMI, CAP or CHF) and enter your hospital's most current performance data on the measures for your chosen condition. Review your data and determine what measure(s) could be improved. Next, list the members of the quality improvement team in your hospital. If your hospital does not have an interdisciplinary team, list individuals you would include on a team and talk with your hospital quality improvement department about how they might assist you in creating a team for improvement.  
  2. Examine Work Process Choose one measure to target for improvement and complete the work process and change ideas worksheets for that measure. This exercise will help to identify potential barriers in the current process of care and change ideas to improve the process.  
  3. Examine Systems Complete the 3-page survey (with your team's input if applicable) to help you to identify areas for improvement in how your hospital is currently structured and care is delivered to patients.  
  4. Request Report When you've completed the three steps above, request a summary report from the main menu. The report will be available within 48 hours of your request.  
   
  5. Develop Improvement Plan Review your report and enter your improvement goal for the measure chosen and the planned re-measurement date. Describe your change idea and quality improvement intervention including what resources and tools you believe you will need for the improvement plan.  
  6. Report Results Pilot test your Improvement Plan and enter the remeasurement data for the measure chosen for improvement. Implementing a change idea and remeasuring the selected outcome may take from two weeks to six months or longer.  
  7. Submit Completed Module Submit your completed module to the ABIM to receive credit toward Maintenance of Certification and CME credit.  



Assistance
For technical assistance:
  • E-mail your technical questions to SUPPORT@abim.org; OR
  • Phone Technical Support at 800-441-2246 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM EST).

For general questions:

  • Send e-mail to REQUEST@abim.org; OR
  • Phone the ABIM at 800-441-2246 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST).

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