Abstract
Background: Performance improvement (PI) is one of the newest CME learning formats designed for providers to evaluate and make changes to their clinical practice. In 2014, The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) implemented a change in the recertification process to include PI as part of the required CME category 1 credits. Following the end of a ten-year cycle, physician assistants must have at least 40 category 1 PI-CME credits. PI-CME is different from other category 1 activities as it involves a structured and systematic three-stage approach by which evidenced based performance measures are used to help providers identify areas of improvement in their clinical practice. In this three-stage process, the provider must first assess their practice by comparing it directly to an evidence based performance measure. The provider then must analyze and consider the results of the data for areas of improvement and identify one or more strategies for improvement. After implementing a strategy and collecting additional data following the implementation, the provider must finally reflect on the results. The advantage of PI-CME is that it can be developed for any subspecialty of practice. It can essentially address any process related to health care delivery. Purpose: To update physician assistants of the PI-CME requirements for certification maintenance and to provide advanced practitioners an overview of the stages of developing a PI-CME activity as it relates to improving patient care in the oncology practice setting. Description: We describe 3 PI CME activities developed by physician assistants at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to be used by physician assistants in the fields of medical, surgical, and radiation oncology. These activities were developed by and for physician assistants to address specific patient care issues related to the care of the oncology patient such as accuracy in communicating patient hand offs, proper monitoring of patients receiving chemotherapy, and ensuring appropriate follow up evaluation after completion of radiation therapy. Conclusion: PI-CME is a structured tool that is relevant to all advanced practice providers, not only physician assistants, and is an active application of learning which ultimately leads to improved patient outcomes. PI-CME is applicable to any subspecialty of practice, including the specialized fields of oncology.
