Alabama Practiced-Based CME Program
Summary:
In April 2003, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine
Division of Continuing Medical Education (CME) partnered with the Alabama Quality
Assurance Foundation (AQAF) to introduce the Alabama Practice-Based
CME Network.
Purpose:
- Support the efforts of AQAF to improve performance on process level health indicators
in diabetes care and mammography screening
- Provide practice-focused CME tailored to needs expressed by individual physicians
- Provide access to resources that will assist physicians in caring for complex adult
patients
Description:
To date, 482 physicians representing 63 of Alabama's 67 counties have joined the
network. This population includes AQAF's entire performance measurement sample.
Members were recruited by UAB CME through facsimile broadcasting, FedEx delivery,
and e-mail; AQAF recruited via visits to physician offices in their performance
measurement sample.
Members in the Alabama Practice-based CME Network are offered the following complimentary
services:
- Monthly-updated CMEs focused on the care of complex older patients
- Full access to all publications of The Medical Letter
- Literature searches and article delivery
- Patient education materials
- Practice resources (e.g., access to practice management and self-assessment tools)
- 24-hour access via www.alabamacme.uab.edu
The network encourages feedback from members through the websites, monthly newsletters,
and frequent surveys. In consideration of a variety of technologic capabilities,
interaction with each member physician is tailored according to their expressed
preference for one of three media: printed materials via mail, facsimile, or e-mail/internet.
In addition to addressing individual comments, the network is adaptable to members'
aggregate concerns. For example, the network's editorial schedule for CME has been
established according to the clinical concerns most frequently expressed by its
members.
Through the partnership with the Quality Improvement Organization, the network is
uniquely positioned to assess the performance of their member physicians against
process level indicators in diabetes care and mammography screening over time.
The Alabama Practice-based Network recently won the 2005 Award for Outstanding CME
Collaboration at the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education annual conference
in January of 2005.
Program contact person:
Sherry S. Pigford
Division of Continuing Medical Education
Department of Medical Education
Room 406
John N. Whitaker Building (JNWB)
500 22nd Street South
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL 35233
(tel) (205) 934-2687
(fax) (205) 934-1939
Leaders and Key Staff:.
- Robert E. Kristofco, M.S.W., Director
- Sherry S. Pigford, B.S., Program Manager