Performance Reporting Tool Piloted at DFM Clinics

Department of Family Medicine (DFM) clinical staff will be one of the first in the UW Health system to see how well their clinic is performing, and how it stacks up against other clinics system-wide.

That's because the DFM is playing a key role in the launch of a new UW Health tool that provides clinic performance data via Web-based reports.

The tool, known as the Ambulatory Performance Report, is being piloted at 22 DFM clinics in mid-January. Several other internal medicine, geriatrics, and urgent care clinics are also piloting the tool at that time.

During the pilot, DFM clinicians and managers will help evaluate the tool and influence future performance reporting. This ultimately will help improve patient care, quality, and efficiency-not just for the department, but the entire system.

Meaningful Data at Clinicians' Fingertips

The January pilot is the first step in a long-term project that aims to deliver meaningful, actionable data to clinicians. This first phase provides information on quality measures and patient satisfaction at UW Health clinics.

Quality measures, gathered from public reports submitted to the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, include:

• Breast cancer screening rates
• Diabetes care, specifically:
  • Diabetes Hb A1c testing and control rates
  • Diabetes LCL testing and control rates

Patient satisfaction data, gathered from the Press Ganey survey, includes:

• Overall satisfaction
• Ease of scheduling appointments
• Wait in exam room to see care provider
• Overall satisfaction with care provider

The report displays this data graphically, and showing not only an individual clinic's performance, but also how performance varies across clinics. The report also includes links to information on related improvement activities at UW Health.

Promoting Best Practices, Improved Care

Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and managers at the pilot clinics can access the report through My HealthLink, a new, personalized electronic health record Web portal.

As the project evolves, reports will include additional operational metrics, and access will be expanded to include other clinics and specialties. The project's long-term goal is to deliver comprehensive performance information to all members of the care team at each clinic.

The DFM is excited about its early involvement in the project, said DFM Quality Improvement Manager Stephanie Berkson. "We welcome the opportunity to participate in this pilot and look forward to providing feedback that will influence both the rollout and future versions of this reporting tool."

And the benefits of the initiative extend far beyond the DFM. "This report provides clinicians with valuable insight into how their clinic is performing. That encourages the sharing of best practices, which in turn helps build a culture of continuous improvement," said Judy Myhre, lead consultant for care and quality innovations at the UW Medical Foundation.

DFM Vice Chair for Clinical Care Sandra Kamnetz, MD, agrees. "The DFM has been presenting quality data to our physicians through our clinical dashboard and statewide clinical care committee," she said. "With this initiative, all of primary care - not just family medicine - can learn from each other and cross-fertilize improvements."