ACP Adult Immunization Initiative - Inform, Implement, Immunize: ACP’s Immunization Outreach Program (I3)

Running a Practice

Inform, Implement, Immunize: ACP’s Immunization Outreach Program

Inform, Implement, Immunize: ACP’s Immunization Outreach Program (I³) is an innovative quality improvement program that uses a practice-based, team-oriented model to train teams of physicians, nurses or other allied health professionals, and office administrators. I³ will help physicians and their staff to develop and improve strategies for immunizing their patients against influenza, and also HPV, herpes zoster, pneumococcal disease, pertussis, tetanus, and Hepatitis B.

Building upon the success of our previous immunization program, Put ACASA Into Practice!, we have developed I³ to help physician practices organize their internal processes for delivering immunization services to their patients. The new program incorporates the Chronic Care Model for systems change, the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Breakthrough Series Model of social learning, and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle for quality improvement

How does it work?

Practices that participate in this project will designate a “team” of one physician, one nurse or other allied health professional, and one administrator who will attend one training session and participate in two conference calls over a 6 to 9 month period. The following year, participants will be invited to an Immunization Summit of participants from a variety of ACP’s quality improvement programs.

1st session: During this full-day session, the practice teams learn the following:

Fundamentals of the Chronic Care Model, systems change, the improvement model using the PDSA cycle
The Basics of Measurement and how measurement is the key to improvement. They will be introduced to the I³ chart abstraction form.
In addition, they will receive training on the latest evidence-based standards of care from eminent ACP Faculty.

1st Conference Call: During this 2-hour call, baseline practice data will be reviewed and improvement plans developed.
2rd Conference Call: During this 2-hour call, participants will share their successes and challenges with their PDSA cycles.

In between training sessions, the practices implement quality improvement activities that target those processes of care that are identified as needing improvement and that will be followed lowed through standardized measurement. As the program progresses the teams review, adjust, and re-measure their targeted outcomes. Scheduled and consistent communication between the ACP staff and the teams facilitates the measurement process. Additional support is available through conference calls, access to faculty and staff, and a participant website.

So what exactly would my practice be committing to?

If you agree to participate, you will be expected to do the following:

Designate a team of two practice members to participate in this program for a period of three years. The team must consist of one physician and one allied health professional or office administrator.
Provide practice data from 35 patients via chart review. Baseline prior to the first learning session, another immediately upon completion of the training. This process will be repeated over each of the three years of the grant.
Send in 2 short progress reports per year for review on the conference calls.
Obtain any IRB approvals necessary from your institutions (ACP will assist you).

What’s in it for me?

Through participation in the project you will receive the following:

Free participation! There are no tuition or registration fees.
Educational materials, chart tools, patient tools, data abstraction forms and support materials
Access to ACP’s most eminent faculty who will give you hands on advise and coaching throughout the program
Assistance with IRB approval. ACP is responsible for overall IRB approval of this project and we will provide you with all IRB approved materials, consent forms, etc and we will assist you with any IRB applications you may have.
Reports on your practice measurements
Reimbursement for travel expenses
26 hours of CME credit (for the training session and the practice-based learning) for physicians
ABIM recognition of this program for re-certification
Recognition of this program for NCQA certification
6 hours of CE credit for nurses and other allied health professionals
A plaque recognizing your commitment to Quality Improvement, recognition on the ACP website, and a newspaper article to place in your local newspapers.