Frequently Asked Questions

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General Questions about all PIMs

How do I begin the PIM?

To get started earning Part 4 credit by completing the PIM, please log in to your "My ABP Portfolio" account. After logging in, follow the links for:

My MOC Requirements
Search Activities
Search Part 4
Select American Board of Pediatrics in the sponsor field
Search Approved Activities
Click on Safe Prescription & Medication Order Writing PIM from the listing then the “Launch Activity” button

Is there a fee to participate?

No. The PIM is included in the MOC enrollment fee.

I launched the PIM demo, but it says “You are not currently logged in and will not receive credit”. Why?

To earn MOC credit for completing the PIM you must launch the activity from the PIM Activity Profile page. Viewing the demo does not signify starting the PIM.

Is the PIM HIPAA Compliant?

Yes. The data entered into the PIM is de–identified — meaning no patient specific information,such as name or DOB can be entered into the module. If you choose to, you may securely dispose of the visit form after the data is entered into the PIM, just like any other piece of information that may contain confidential information. The ABP will not ask for copies of the actual visit form and only uses aggregate data to monitor whether the module as a whole has improved care. Physicians can download their own data at any time should they wish, for instance to create a registry. The PIM is not a research project or part of a study, but is a tool to help physicians improve care.

General Questions about this PIM

Can I use the resources in the PIM for educational sessions with my staff?

Yes. Any material on the links should be in the public domain and available for non-commercial use.

Can I use inpatient and outpatient data collection for this activity?

No. The PIMs are not structured to allow the use of more than one track at a time. You must choose either the inpatient or outpatient track. The visit forms are different, as are the run charts that show baseline performance and performance after interventions. Therefore, mixing and matching data using both tracks within the PIM is not possible.

Do I have to use the same patients to complete the PIM?

No. You do not need to use the same patients.

A cycle can include any patients you see in your practice. If you see the patient more than once, you can use that as a second encounter and provide them with another form prior to being seen for the second or third time.

Certification

How much CME credit is provided?

CME for the Safe Prescription & Medication Order Writing PIM is 20.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ^™ and they must be claimed by . To claim CME, after completing the PIM, click on the “Print CME Certificate” link that will appear on the PIM Home Page. This link will only appear after you complete 3 cycles of the PIM. However, if simulated data is used to complete the PIM, no CME credit can be claimed.

Is there a restriction on how long you can participate once started?

Yes.

All PIMs expire three years from the date they are introduced. The PIM will not accept data after the expiration date, so you must complete the PIM before the expiration date in order to receive MOC credit. You must also complete the PIM within your current MOC cycle in order to receive MOC credit and have it applied towards your Part 4 Performance in Practice requirement. Your exact MOC cycle dates may be reviewed within your online Portfolio account by clicking the link for “My MOC Requirements”.

Does my certificate expiration date determine when I can start the PIM?

No. The important date is when the PIM was completed. The PIM must be completed before the end of your MOC cycle. The module may be started at any time but you should check the specific requirements and cycle dates that apply to you at your personal ABP portfolio page.

How do I view my MOC credit?

Access your individual MOC requirements on your personal Web page at www.abp.org.

After completing 3 cycles of the PIM, you will receive MOC credit automatically. To see the credit you received for completing the PIM, login to your ABP Portfolio then:

My MOC Requirements link

Cycles

Can I complete the same PIM for credit more than once in an MOC Cycle?

No. A PIM can only be completed for credit once per MOC cycle. Your exact MOC cycle dates may be reviewed within your online Portfolio account by clicking the link for “My MOC Requirements”.

Can I change my cycle dates after I have created a cycle?

Generally you will not need to change the cycle dates.

The cycle start date will automatically be set when a user creates a new cycle by starting to enter forms. A user can change the start date, but this will not affect the waiting period between cycles. To change the start date:

Click the "Manage Data Collection Periods" button on the right-hand side of the Visit Form page
Hover over the icons labeled "B, 1, 2, etc."
Click the name of the data collection period link in the information box that appears
Edit the Start Date
Click the "Save" button to save your changes.

How long do I have to wait before creating an Improvement Cycle?

There is a mandatory 1 week waiting period between closing a cycle and starting a new cycle. When there is a mandatory waiting period between cycles, you cannot collect and enter all your data into the module at one time.

Since most practice improvement cycles using Plan, Do, Study, Act methodology require time to make changes to improve care, this PIM will not accept data entry for a new improvement cycle sooner than 1 week from the close of the last improvement cycle.

This restriction does not apply to PIMs completed using supplied simulated data.

Do I have to wait until I have all patient data before creating a Baseline or Improvement Cycle?

No. You do not have to wait until you have all patient data before creating a baseline or Improvement Cycle.

Can the PIM be completed as a team?: No. While the PIM must be completed by an individual, physicians are strongly encouraged to work in groups within their practices or across practices to improve care. If a group of physicians in a practice are sharing care for individual patients, they may collect data as a group but each participating physician must complete the PIM individually by entering the group data for the Baseline Performance and the Improvement Cycles. The physician completing the PIM must be involved in the care that is being reported. When care is not shared but a group of physicians or practices are collaborating to improve care, a physician may join the group and enter their own unique patient data and compare their data to other members of the group.

Run Charts

I have entered Baseline data, but my run charts only display a single point. Why?

A run chart is a graph that displays observed data over a period of time. Therefore, after entering baseline data, only one point will be displayed on the chart as a dot. This point is a measure displaying how far you are from the measure goal (if there is one) and where to focus your improvement efforts to reach the goal. After your first Improvement Cycle data is entered, you will see a trend line displayed on the graph, connecting the two points. The chart will continue to display trends over time and your progress towards improvement as you enter your next Improvement Cycle of data.

I have submitted 2 cycles of data but my results are only displaying the Baseline Cycle data. Why?

To see your most recent results, you must refresh the run chart data after you enter new data in the PIM.

To refresh your data, select the run chart you would like to review from the list. Once the run chart screen opens, click the button at the bottom of the screen (or below the chart) labeled "Refresh with New Data". After you click the button, the chart data is updated to reflect new data you have entered in the PIM. You must refresh the data for each run chart separately, so refreshing the data for one chart does not update the other charts.

Simulated Data

I currently am not seeing patients. Can I complete this PIM?

It is the expectation of the ABP that clinically active diplomates use real data from their own patients for completing Part 4 activities. Only those diplomates who are retired, or otherwise no longer practicing medicine and those in non-clinical roles such as research, education, administrative medicine, etc. should utilize simulated data. Please keep in mind that a temporary, brief absence from clinical practice does not qualify for the use of simulated data.

I accidentally selected simulated data to complete the PIM. Can I change it?

No. The PIM is designed to ask you to confirm your selection of simulated data. Failure to select the appropriate response for your situation cannot be changed.

When you selected the simulated data option you gained access to ABP supplied data that is not available to physicians who do not select this option. Therefore, if you wish to continue using the PIM, you may use the simulated data or you may complete the PIM with your own patient data. However, due to your selection of simulated data, you will only receive MOC credit for completion of the PIM and will not receive CME credit, per the AAP guidelines for simulated data users.

Can I use simulated data to complete the PIM?

Visit Forms

When should the visit forms be completed?

The Prescription or Medication Order Form should be completed after the prescription or order has been written.

Do you have any forms that review the data collection process with the patient?

Special permission or consent is not required to use the PIM data collection forms. The data collection forms are used only to collect the data for later transfer into the module and to guide care. The data entered into the Performance Improvement Module (PIM) is de-identified and no patient specific information can be entered into the module. The ABP will not ask for copies of the actual prescription or medication order forms.

The purpose of the prescription and medication order writing forms is to gather important information on safe medication practice. This may be in either the outpatient setting or the inpatient setting.

Data is meant to be used by individual physicians as a measure of the care they deliver relative to known benchmarks. Physicians can download their own data at any time should they wish save the data they have collected, for instance, to create a registry. The ABP will use aggregate data to monitor whether the module as a whole has improved care. The forms gather clinical data about the patient encounter in order to improve care, and as mentioned above, since the data entered into the PIM has no patient identifiers, no additional parent and/or patient permission is required. Use of the PIM is not a research project or part of a study but is a tool to help physicians improve safe prescription and medication order writing rates. The PIM is based on a proven quality improvement projects as noted on the PIM.

Are visit forms available in a language other than English?

No. At this time, the visit forms are only available in English. If you are a physician serving a patient population using a language other than English, you may have your visit forms translated, however, this is not a service the ABP provides.