Design your own Improvement in Medical Practice project using a standard quality improvement methodology, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. You may create an individual project or adopt a project developed by a group practice, a department at an academic institution, a health care system, or a local, regional, or national medical society or organization.
If you are connected to the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS® Registry, you are encouraged to base your project on the monthly performance rates on clinical quality measures and quality improvement measures provided on the registry dashboard. These data may be used to identify areas for improvement, set specific goals for each, outline the steps to achieve the goals, and evaluate success by looking at the subsequent monthly performance rates provided by the IRIS dashboard.
Submission Process
Documentation for each project involves creating a brief project description that is screened by ABO staff before commencing the activity and a summary report after the activity has been completed. The forms are accessible on your Status Page. Projects developed according to a pre-approved template do not need pre-approval from the ABO.
Before you begin your activity, you will submit an online form that includes the following:
- Project description and target goal(s) for improvement
- Baseline measurements
- Improvement plan, including the improvement period timeframe
The ABO will then review and provide approval to start your project.
Upon completion, you will submit an online summary report that includes the following:
- Post-implementation measurements
- Post-implementation data analysis
- Statement about how the project will improve the diplomate’s care of patients
Project Samples
The ABO offers a list of self-created project examples. Diplomates are encouraged to review these pre-approved projects for inspiration or to duplicate the project in their own practice. Projects developed according to one of these templates do not need pre-approval from the ABO.