UNIQUE CASE-BASED, MULTI-FORMAT PHYSICIAN EDUCATION PRODUCES POSITIVE CLINICAL OUTCOMES
Findings from COPD CME Initiative Published in the International Journal of COPD
Columbia, MD – May 17, 2011 – Physicians who participated in live half-day, case-based, multi-format CME symposia were 50% more likely to provide evidence-based care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than those who did not participate, according to a study conducted by the Potomac Center for Medical Education (PCME), a Rockpointe company, and CE Outcomes, LLC. These findings, which point to the positive impact of CME on physician practice, were published in the International Journal of COPD on May 12, 2011. Previously, the positive outcomes from this CME program were presented at Chest 2010, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, which was held October 30-November 4 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Between September and December 2009, 769 primary care physicians (PCPs) participated in a series of 12 live regional half-day CME programs titled, “Improving COPD Patient Outcomes: Breaking Down the Barriers to Optimal Care.” After the CME series was completed, a subgroup of participants (n=50) and demographically matched non-participants (n=50) completed surveys conducted by PCME and CE Outcomes, LLC, which included detailed case vignettes, a validated tool for measuring physician performance in clinical practice. Case vignettes were designed to assess the consistency of diagnostic and therapeutic choices with clinical evidence.
In addition to being more likely to provide evidence-based care, participants were more likely than non-participants to correctly recognize COPD in a patient presenting with dyspnea (94% vs 74%; P=0.007); recognize that women may have a greater susceptibility than men to the toxic effects of smoking (90% vs 54%; P< 0.001); and identify the mechanisms of action of emerging therapies (65% vs 33%; P=0.003). Each of these areas had been identified as gaps in current COPD clinical practices; thus, these findings show that continuing medical education can help narrow these gaps.
The series of live symposia were CME-certified by accredited provider PCME and supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis. Attendees listened to comprehensive presentations from nationally recognized faculty thought-leaders and participated in interactive hands-on workshops, where they conducted spirometry tests and treated “virtual” patients through case studies.
For more information, please contact Jay Katz, CEO, PCME (443-539-4069, jkatz@potomacme.org);
