Performance Improvement Coaching Program

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Whereas previously, board certification was ongoing, medical specialty societies now provide time delimited certifications that must be renewed every seven to ten years. For instance, Maintenance of Certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine not only requires evidence of life-long learning and knowledge, but also physician participation in practice-level quality improvement programs knows as PIMS (Practice Improvement Modules). PIMs require physicians to collect and review data from their own patients and to implement one or more internal quality improvement programs to improve care for patients with a specific chronic disease.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Excellus BCBS) recognized that physicians were devoting many hours to the completion of these modules and that they could benefit from expert practice consultants to help them complete this task in a more expeditious manner. Its Performance Improvement Coaching Program (PIC) supported practitioners in their attempts to improve their clinical skills and knowledge through the completion of a PIM. Nurses from the Excellus BCBS' Physician Performance Improvement department implemented the PIC program, on-site, and at no cost to physicians.

The program has a series of manageable steps, with tools, data and resources provided at every session to assist physicians in completing the practice improvement modules. Physicians had the opportunity to participate in as much (or as little) of the tutorial that they wanted, and were offered a "menu of services." Physicians appreciated this flexibility and took advantage of the Plan's innovative training sessions. The PIC program was geared toward physicians in the Excellus BCBS network who needed to renew their certification in 2008-2009.

Although this was a pilot program aimed at a relatively small number of physicians undergoing recertification, the program had a 44 percent physician engagement rate, with 83 percent of these physicians participating in all program components. The participation rate is considered high for a voluntary program of this type. In an independently conducted survey, participating physicians reported very positive experiences.

Program Contact: Beth Gawronski, BSN, Clinical Quality Specialist, 585.238.3617, Beth.Gawronski@excellus.com