AAAAI Modules

Resources Relevant to the Implementation
of Core ACGME-Required Competencies

Module II
Practice-based learning & improvement
Resources


Improving patient care		Improving patient care is a process that consists of specific components. The ACGME has targeted understanding and being able to participate in the components of this process as crucial skills for residents. The resources included in this section of the module are designed to provide materials and tools that training programs can use to help residents learn and use these important skills.
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Institute for Healthcare Improvement		The mission of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is, “to help lead the improvement of health care systems, to increase continuously their quality and value. Our measures of improvement include improved health status, better clinical outcomes, lower cost, broadened access, greater ease of use, and higher satisfaction for individuals and their communities.” The Institute provides a Model for Accelerating Improvement that describes practical information about the improvement process.
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Journal of the American Medical Association		Improving the Quality of Medical Care: Building Bridges Among Professional Pride, Payer Profit, and Patient Satisfaction is a review of many of the recent strategies suggested for improving the health care system. This article, by Richard Grol, appeared in JAMA, Vol. 286 No. 20, November 28, 2001.
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Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)		The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality provides up-to-date information on evidence-based practice, outcomes and effectiveness, technology assessment, preventive services, and clinical practice guidelines. The AHRQ provides free access to CONQUEST - Computerized Needs-Oriented Quality Measurement Evaluation System. Health care providers may access this database for information about measuring performance on condition-specific bases. The AHRQ also provide a 10-step Put Prevention into Practice program that includes flow sheets.
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Improving Chronic Illness Care (ICIC)		Improving Chronic Illness Care is a National Program Office supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based in Group Health Cooperative's MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation. The goal of ICIC is to foster improvement in chronic illness care by supporting health care providers with guidelines, expertise, and systems. The organization’s site contains a number of useful materials that may be used by physicians for analyzing and improving care. For instance, the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care tool is designed to help teams assess and improve the care they provide for chronic illness. Worksheets to assist with patient self-management and to explore the notion of group visits are also available on the site. A set of critical tools to assist system improvement projects is provided.
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Managed Care Education Connection		The Managed Care Education Connection is a product of the Partnerships for Quality Education (PQE) sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Connection provides extensive information, curricula, web-based tools, and teaching cases that can be used to teach and learn about cost-effective care and improvement. The site requires free registration to access materials from its database. A sample of materials available from the site include: • a Coding and Billing module designed to provide residents with information about coding for patient care and reimbursement. • a Case-based Reflective Learning Curriculum on Managed Care. Although designed primarily for family medicine and pediatric residents, much of the information and assessment tools contained in this curriculum are generalizable across specialties. • a case study titled, “Costs, Care, and Chronic Illness: Impacts on the Health Care System,” is a case that considers a patient with asthma. • an article titled, “A Patient-centered Approach to Applying Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Dependence.”
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American Medical Association (AMA)		As part of its Division of Clinical Quality Improvement, the AMA has created three Core Physician Performance Measurement sets. Sets are currently available for adult diabetes, chronic stable coronary artery disease, and prenatal testing. A set for asthma is currently in progress.
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American College of Physicians - American Society of Internal Medicine ACP-ASIM		The ACP-ASIM offers searchable access to articles from a variety of journals, including Effective Clinical Practice. For example, a recent article, “Reducing Emergency Visits in Older Adults with Chronic Illness: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Group Visits,” provides information that can be useful in analyzing and improving practice for chronic illness care.
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Weill Medical College of Cornell University		An article titled, “A Practice-profiling System for Residents,”describes a program designed to introduce residents to the concepts of population medicine and to improve feedback to residents by providing them with a three-part practice profile. The article abstract can be freely viewed. The article is located at: Callahan, M., Fein, O., & Battleman, D. (2002). A practice-profiling system for residents. Academic Medicine, 77(1): 34-9.
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Asthma Management Model System		Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Asthma Management Model System provides clinical practice guidelines related to asthma.
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National Library of Medicine Breath of Life		The Breath of Life site contains information about disease management and other resources on asthma from the National Library of Medicine. The site provides links to 50 related sites.
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