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Published on: February 26, 2013
Impact of certified CME in atrial fibrillation on administrative claims
Stephanie A Stowell1, Allison J Gardner, Joseph S Alpert
1Med-IQ, Baltimore, MD 21223, USA. sstowell@med-iq.com
Insights
Continuing medical education (CME) on atrial fibrillation (AF) reduced healthcare costs and utilization. Administrative claims data effectively measured physician practice changes and patient outcomes following AF CME.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Health Services Research
- Cardiology
Background:
- Continuing Medical Education (CME) aims to improve physician practice and patient outcomes.
- Measuring the impact of CME on physician behavior and clinical outcomes can be challenging.
- Atrial fibrillation (AF) management requires adherence to evidence-based guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess if administrative claims databases can measure physician behavior changes after an AF-focused CME activity.
- To evaluate the impact of AF CME on healthcare utilization and costs for AF patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of administrative claims data from Humana health system physicians.
- Comparison of physician treatment patterns and AF patient outcomes 6 months before and after CME participation.
- Assessment of physician knowledge gains related to AF management.
Main Results:
- Physician participation in AF CME was associated with significant reductions in AF-related healthcare costs and utilization.
- A decrease in the length of hospital stay for AF patients was observed post-CME.
- Physicians demonstrated significant knowledge improvement in evidence-based AF care strategies.
Conclusions:
- Administrative claims data offer an innovative and potentially valid method for evaluating CME effectiveness.
- CME activities can influence physician practice, leading to improved patient outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.
- Further research is warranted to explore drivers of change and the utility of claims data in measuring CME impact.
Objective:
To determine whether changes in physician behavior associated with a continuing medical education (CME) activity on atrial fibrillation (AF) can be measured using an administrative claims database.
Study Design:
A retrospective, analytical review of physician practice changes and AF patient- related healthcare utilization and costs derived from an administrative claims database was performed on a cohort of Humana health system physicians.
Methods:
The Humana physicians participated in a specified CME activity on the management of patients with AF. Treatment patterns of these providers and clinical outcomes of a cohort of established AF patients were compared 6 months before and 6 months after physician participation in the AF CME activity.
Results:
Analysis of administrative claims data from Humana providers who participated in an AF CME activity and their patients demonstrated a significant reduction in AF-related healthcare costs and utilization, including decreased length of stay. Humana providers, in addition to the other CME activity participants, demonstrated significant gains in knowledge of evidence-based care strategies when presented with real-world scenarios of patients with AF.
Conclusions:
The use of administrative claims data is an innovative way of measuring the effectiveness of CME. These observations support the need for further investigation into the drivers of change in patient outcomes that may be associated with CME activities, as well as the utility of healthcare claims data as a possible valid measure of the impact of CME on physician performance and patient outcomes.
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