Seeking Primary Care Pediatric Practice Teams Interested in Improving Their Care for Obesity and Overweight for Participation in a Brief Virtual Quality Improvement Project
Background
The Childhood Obesity in Primary Care Project is an innovative quality improvement (QI) project that aims to improve the implementation of comprehensive obesity-related health risk assessment in pediatric primary care practices. Participating practices collaborate with one another and receive education, coaching, and resources from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight (IHCW) in cooperation with the Section On Obesity (SOOB) to support the implementation of practice changes to improve obesity care.
Aims
By the end of the project period, during well child visits, the participating practices will:
• Appropriately assess obesity risk, including an assessment of growth, 50% of the time for patients < 2 years of age and 85% of the time for patients from 2 through 21 years of age;
• Appropriately assess and counsel on healthy active living behaviors 50% of the time for patients from 2 through 21 years of age; and
• For patients with overweight or obesity, appropriately assess medical risk (through family history, obesity review-of-systems, and physical exam) 50% of the time and, when indicated, provide appropriate follow-up through lab orders and work-ups 50% of the time.
Benefits of Participation
• Learn from national experts in obesity prevention and treatment, skilled in leading quality improvement efforts in pediatric primary care
• (If approved) earn 25 American Board of Pediatrics Part 4 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits (see Appendix for MOC requirements)
• Access a change package with strategies and resources to improve obesity-related care, including an overarching algorithm of risk assessment and tools for each category of obesity-related risk
• Participate in evidence-based educational content regarding obesity in pediatric primary care and earn up to 9 CME credits through participation in CME modules and live action period webinars
• Interact with peer practice teams to share experiences, strategies, and tips.
Eligibility
Pediatric primary care practices that wish to participate must:
• Identify a core QI team of two to four committed members. While all clinicians in the practice are encouraged to participate, the core QI team will provide leadership and oversight for the initiative. The team must include:
o A Lead Clinician (MD, DO, NP, PA) , who will serve as the site champion and oversee MOC requirements for the site
o A clinical support staff member (e.g., RN, LPN, MA)
o A staff member with knowledge of clinic flow issues, patient scheduling, and billing, and the authority to facilitate practice-level changes. An office manager and front office staff person are required, but the pediatrician, clinical staff person, or another staff member responsible for these functions may fulfill these roles on the team
• Agree to fulfill the project requirements and participate in the project for its duration (see Appendix for detailed participation requirements).
• Have a sufficient level of organizational support (e.g., buy-in from senior leadership, autonomy, time, etc.) to permit the core QI team to make changes to improve practice.
• If requested, participate as a team in a brief call to confirm eligibility.
All staff in participating practices are encouraged to participate in the activities outlined below.
Up to 25 pediatric primary care practices will be selected to participate in the project through an application process. Applications should be completed by the team’s Lead Clinician or other designated practice staff. All applications will be reviewed by the project’s faculty experts in obesity prevention and treatment in pediatric primary care.
The application period will close upon receipt of 25 eligible submissions, or no later than December 1, 2017. We plan to notify practices of their acceptance by December 8, 2017
Please follow the link below to complete the online application:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/COPCv3
