 |
|
Association Between Maintenance of Certification Examination Scores and Quality of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries
Eric S. Holmboe, MD;
Yun Wang, PhD;
Thomas P. Meehan, MD, MPH;
Janet P. Tate, MPH;
Shih-Yieh Ho, PhD, MPH;
Katie S. Starkey, MHA;
Rebecca S. Lipner, PhD
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(13):1396-1403.
Background The relationship between physicians' cognitive skill and the delivery of evidence-based processes of care is not well characterized.Therefore, we set out to determine associations between general internists' performance on the American Board of Internal Medicine maintenance of certification examination and the receipt of important processes of care by Medicare patients.
Methods Physicians were grouped into quartiles based on their performance on the American Board of Internal Medicine examination. Hierarchical generalized linear models examined associations between examination scores and the receipt of processes of care by Medicare patients. The main outcome measures were the associations between diabetes care, using a composite measure of hemoglobin A1c, and lipid testing and retinal screening, mammography, and lipid testing in patients with cardiovascular disease and the physician's performance on the American Board of Internal Medicine examination, adjusted for the number of Medicare patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease in a physician's practice panel; frequency of visits; patient comorbidity, age, and ethnicity; and physician training history and type of practice.
Results Physicians scoring in the top quartile were more likely to perform processes of care for diabetes (composite measure odds ratio [OR], 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07-1.27) and mammography screening (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08-1.21) than physicians in the lowest physician quartile, even after adjustment for multiple factors. There was no significant difference among the groups in lipid testing of patients with cardiovascular disease (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.91-1.10).
Conclusion Our findings suggest that physician cognitive skills, as measured by a maintenance of certification examination, are associated with higher rates of processes of care for Medicare patients.
Author Affiliations: American Board of Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Drs Holmboe and Lipner and Ms Starkey), and Qualidigm, Middletown, Connecticut (Drs Wang, Meehan, and Ho and Ms Tate).
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati
What's this?
RELATED LETTERS
Hemoglobin A1c Testing, Board-Recertification Scores, and Treatment Outcomes
Simon G. Kassabian
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):417.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Is Quality of Care Only Instrumental?
Joachim Sturmberg
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):417-418.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Is Quality of Care Only Instrumental?—Reply
Eric S. Holmboe, Yun Wang, Thomas P. Meehan, Janet P. Tate, Shih-Yieh Ho, and Rebecca S. Lipner
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):418.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
RELATED ARTICLES
In This Issue of Archives of Internal Medicine
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(13):1364.
FULL TEXT
What Do Certification Examinations Tell Us About Quality?
Bruce E. Landon
Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(13):1365-1367.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
|
Hemoglobin A1c Testing, Board-Recertification Scores, and Treatment Outcomes
Kassabian
Arch Intern Med 2009;169:417-417.
FULL TEXT
Is Quality of Care Only Instrumental?--Reply
Holmboe et al.
Arch Intern Med 2009;169:418-418.
FULL TEXT
Is Quality of Care Only Instrumental?
Sturmberg
Arch Intern Med 2009;169:417-418.
FULL TEXT
Revalidation of physicians in Canada: Are we passing the test?
Levinson
CMAJ 2008;179:979-980.
FULL TEXT
La revalidation des medecins au Canada : Passons-nous le test?
Levinson
CMAJ 2008;179:981-982.
FULL TEXT
Recertification Scores Correlate with Quality of Care
Journal Watch Dermatology 2008;2008:2-2.
FULL TEXT
Internal Medicine Board Exam Scores and Quality of Care
JWatch General 2008;2008:5-5.
FULL TEXT
What Do Certification Examinations Tell Us About Quality?
Landon
Arch Intern Med 2008;168:1365-1367.
FULL TEXT
|
