research Performance Evaluation of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-4) on the Family Medicine In-Training Examination Read Performance Evaluation of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT-4) on the Family Medicine In-Training Examination
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Home All News & Insights Closing Care Gaps: How One Practice Addressed Data Deficiencies in Cervical Cancer Screenings Closing Care Gaps: How One Practice Addressed Data Deficiencies in Cervical Cancer Screenings Drs. Jeremy Fischer and Nicole Karmo of the Henry Ford Macomb Health Center discussed improving data on cervical cancer screenings which led to a recent performance improvement submission. January 15, 2025 Henry Ford Macomb’s family medicine residency clinic had a problem. In the summer of 2023, the Michigan-based family practice clinic discovered that documentation of their patients’ cervical cancer screenings was not at the system goal of 85%. Initial reports placed the number closer to 75%, which professionals on staff did not feel was accurate. “Initially, we thought we just needed to bring in more patients and really push the screening. We opened up weekend [availability] as well. While that cleared a handful of people, it wasn’t the main issue,” said Dr. Jeremy Fischer, Henry Ford Macomb Health Center’s Family Medicine Program Director. After some research, an explanation was identified. The health center utilizes a practice registry called Compass to track preventative health screenings by collecting data from EPIC and similar databases. The discrepancy occurred because many outside offices don’t use a software that correctly connects to Compass. Additionally, there may have been examples of misclassified exclusions. Patients who had hysterectomies for benign reasons with removal of the cervix would no longer require screening, but that wasn’t always flagged on incoming data. Addressing these anomalies required touching base with 485 patients individually to determine when and where their last screening had taken place. “We started to notice a trend where these patients who were reported as lacking completion of the screening actually had it done,” said Dr. Nicole Karmo, who submitted the subsequent project to the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) as a Performance Improvement (PI) activity. “It became a matter of either obtaining appropriate records from a variety of different sources or adding qualifications to existing documents to make them more accurate.” Cervical cancer screenings typically begin at the age of 21. In the United States, approximately 14,000 new cases are discovered each year, and more than 4,300 deaths occurred from the disease in 2024 alone. Screenings like the kind under review at Henry Ford Macomb residency clinic are crucial, because early detection plays a pivotal role in boosting survival rates among women diagnosed with cervical cancer. “Women tend to prioritize cancer screenings like this, and they want to be on board to look out for their own health whenever possible,” Dr. Karmo explained, noting that the process of reaching out to the clinic’s list of flagged individuals went very smoothly overall. A team of four led this eight-month project: Dr. Karmo, Dr. Fischer, Dr. Ellen Tumbarella, and fourth year medical student Samantha Lacrosse. Together they improved compliance rates and streamlined data collection processes through several interlocking strategies. Patients flagged as non-compliant were contacted one-by-one to notify them of overdue screenings or confirm their existing records. External providers, especially OB/GYN offices, were contacted to collect missing patient information and confirm the electronic health record system that was being utilized at each location. And finally, staff education was increased to ensure proper coding of hysterectomy cases and standardization of data collection and storage. “We all chipped in to review hundreds of records, ensuring accurate documentation and better patient care,” said Dr. Karmo. Combined, these efforts raised compliance rates by 8%, almost reaching the 85% goal which the center had been missing. Numbers have continued to improve since the project’s completion thanks to the new processes in place. Dr. Fischer added, “It was gratifying to see that with better reporting, we could reflect the excellent care our patients were being provided.” He was happy to note that of the 485 patients who were touched by this project, no additional instances of cervical cancer were identified. “It was gratifying to see that with better reporting, we could reflect the excellent care our patients were being provided.” This PI activity submission is a classic example of how data-driven approaches and peer collaboration may enhance preventative care while contributing to better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Thank you to the team at Henry Ford Macomb Health Center for sharing their work with ABFM. Aaron Burch serves as Editorial Content Manager for the American Board of Family Medicine. He has been writing professionally in the health care field since 2014. Latest News & Insights All News & Insights February 10, 2025 International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM Go to International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM December 11, 2024 2024 Health Equity Progress Report Go to 2024 Health Equity Progress Report December 9, 2024 Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity? Go to Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity? December 2, 2024 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement Go to 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement
Latest News & Insights All News & Insights February 10, 2025 International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM Go to International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM December 11, 2024 2024 Health Equity Progress Report Go to 2024 Health Equity Progress Report December 9, 2024 Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity? Go to Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity? December 2, 2024 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement Go to 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement
February 10, 2025 International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM Go to International Advocacy Takes Center Stage in JABFM
December 9, 2024 Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity? Go to Do You Still Need a Performance Improvement Activity?
December 2, 2024 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement Go to 5-Year Cycle: 3 Things to Know About the Exam Requirement