Posted June 20, 2007[an error occurred while processing this directive]
Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare: News
AMA Launches New Online Tool to Help Physicians Improve the Quality of Care
Chicago, IL, May 22, 2007 — The American Medical Association (AMA) launched AMA Therapeutic Insights today, an online self-assessment tool that uses physician-level prescribing patterns and evidence-based guidelines to help enhance clinical practices and improve patient care.
"AMA Therapeutic Insights is designed to provide physicians with a new source of helpful information on drug treatments for various diseases," said AMA Chair-elect Edward L. Langston, M.D.Ý "The goal of the project is to improve the quality of patient care by increasing physicians' knowledge of the latest scientific evidence on the use of drug therapies, as well as providing insights into physician prescribing patterns."
For the first time, physicians can access state and national comparisons showing which drugs are prescribed by their peers for specific medical conditions.Ý This unprecedented access to disease-specific prescribing patterns is accompanied by evidence-based guidelines for drug therapy.
By integrating these important sources of information, the AMA has created a highly credible tool that will allow physiciansÝto compareÝprescribing patternsÝwith the latest clinical guidelines.Ý This assessment willÝimprove healthcare quality by helping physicians align their prescribing behavior with emerging advances in scientific knowledge.
"AMA Therapeutic Insights is an excellent example of how prescribing patterns can be used to enhance patient outcomes by providing physicians the information necessary to self-assess their current prescribing practices," Dr. Langston said. "This is the first time this type of transparent data sharing has been offered to physicians."
The AMA is collaborating with recognized disease experts, national data providers, and medical specialty groups to incorporate unique drug therapy information, disease prevalence, and practice guidelines into an educational delivery format. The prescribing data included in AMA Therapeutic Insights are provided by IMS Health.Ý The data are fully compliant with federal privacy standards and do not contain any patient identifiable information.
Physicians interested in continuing medical education can access AMA Therapeutic Insights to earn AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM that can be applied toward theÝPhysician Recognition Award (PRA).Ý Established in 1968, the AMA PRA certificate, and the related AMA PRA credit system, recognizes physicians who have demonstrated a commitment to continued medical education.Ý The AMA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Physicians can access AMA Therapeutic Insights by visiting www.ama-assn.org/go/therapeuticinsights .Ý
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