Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions



HOME \| SITE MAP \| CONTACT US
Your Location: Home > Volume 28, Issue 3

CURRENT ISSUE BACK ISSUES SUBSCRIBE ADVERTISE ABOUT JCEHP FOR AUTHORS JCEHP AWARD SEARCH		Volume 28 (3) Volume 28, Issue 3, Summer 2008 J Contin Educ Health Prof 2008; 28(3):140 RESEARCH ARTICLE Learning to collaborate: A case study of performance improvement CME Marianna B. Shershneva, Elizabeth A. Mullikin, Anne-Sophie Loose, Curtis A. Olson A b s t r a c t Introduction: Performance Improvement Continuing Medical Education (PI CME) is a mechanism for joining quality improvement (QI) in health care to continuing medical education (CME) systems together. Although QI practices and CME approaches have been recognized for years, what emerges from their integration is largely unfamiliar, because it requires the collaboration of CME providers and stakeholders within the health care systems who traditionally have not worked together and may not have the same understanding of QI issues to close performance gaps. This study describes how an academic institution and a community-based primary care practice collaborated to enhance patient care in the area of hypertension. It offers lessons learned from a PI CME activity in the area of hypertension. Methods: This was an observational case study. Data were collected through interviews, observations of educational events, and review of documents such as learning logs, which were designed to: (1) help physicians learn and change, (2) satisfy requirements for CME credit, (3) serve as the basis for reimbursement, and (4) provide data for the case study. Results: Nine clinicians from one clinic completed the PI CME activity, achieved measurable improvements in their practice, and contributed to systems change. The study highlighted (1) the value of shared goals and agreement on the process among the participants, planners, and others involved; (2) the advantage of a multidisciplinary approach; (3) the importance of supporting clinicians’ continuing motivation to participate; and (4) the need to allow sufficient time to enable the initiative to evolve. Discussion: PI CME required unprecedented collaboration between CME planners and QI stakeholders to enable change in clinical practice. Key Words: continuing medical education, performance improvement, quality improvement, collaboration, reimbursement Lessons for Practice Gaining agreement among participants and others (eg, health care administrators, CME planners) on performance improvement goals, processes, and related roles may contribute to the success of a PI CME activity. Clinicians’ continuing motivation to participate in a PI CME activity may be supported through reinforcement of their goals and commitments (eg, by the CME planners and champions of change in each specialty involved), shared understanding of the change dynamics, acknowledgment of achievements, and effective coordination of the activity. Opportunities to exchange their learning, practice experiences, and concerns enable performance improvement participants to change their practice in a desired direction. Plans for a PI CME activity should allow sufficient time for the initiative to evolve, for participants to reflect on their learning and change, and for changes in patient outcomes to become evident.
HOME \| SITE MAP \| CONTACT US Copyright © 1996-2008 JCEHP.com & The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions All rights reserved Disclaimer · About This Site · Web Editor · Make JCEHP Your Homepage Information on this site was last updated: 28 October 2008