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Volume 28 (1)
Volume 28, Issue 1, Winter 2008
J Contin Educ Health Prof 2008; 28(1):38-46
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Self-Assessment of Practice Performance: Development of the ABIM Practice Improvement Module (PIMSM)
F. Daniel Duffy, Lorna A. Lynn, Halyna Didura, Brian Hess, Kelly Caverzagie, Louis Grosso, Rebecca A. Lipner, Eric S. Holmboe
A b s t r a c t
Background: Quality measurement and improvement in practice are requirements for Maintenance of Certification
by the American Board of Medical Specialties boards and a component of many pay for performance programs.
Objective: To describe the development of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Practice Improvement
Module (PIMSM) and the average performance of ABIM diplomates who have completed the Preventive Cardiology
PIMSM.
Design: Observational study of self-administered practice quality improvement.
Setting: Office practices through the United States.
Participants: A total of 179 cardiologists and general internists completing requirements for ABIM Maintenance of
Certification from 2004 through 2005.
Measurements: Physicians self-audited at least 25 charts to obtain performance measures, patient demographics,
and coronary heart disease risk factors. At least 25 patients completed surveys regarding their experience of
care in the physician’s practice. Physicians completed a self-assessment survey detailing the presence of various
practice systems.
Results: The mean rate for systolic blood pressure control was 48%, for diastolic blood pressure 84%, and for
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol at goal 65%. Of patients 61% rated the quality of care as excellent and
58% rated the practices excellent at encouraging questions and answering them clearly. More than 85% of patients
reported “no problem” obtaining a prescription refill, scheduling an appointment, reaching someone in the practice
with a question, or obtaining lab results. Targets for improvement were increasing the rates for LDL cholesterol or
systolic blood pressure at goal, improving patients’ physical activity, patient education, and accuracy of risk assessment.
Improvement strategies included implementing chart forms, patient education, or care management
processes.
Limitations: Patients and charts were selected by physicians reporting their performance for the purpose of MOC.
Conclusions: The Preventive Cardiology PIMSM successfully provides a self-assessment of practice performance
and provides guidance in helping physicians initiate a cycle of quality improvement in their practices.
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