Adverse Childhood Experiences (or ACEs) are associated with some of the most common, serious, and intractable health conditions facing our patients. Toxic stress from ACEs such as poverty, violence, and emotional or physical abuse can cause wear and tear on all body systems. In fact, ACEs are associated with increased risk for heart disease, cancer, accidents, respiratory disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and suicide.

ACEs are common across all populations. Over sixty-two percent of California adults have experienced at least one ACE and over sixteen percent have experienced four or more. Many of our patients do not realize that exposure to ACEs is associated with increased risk for health problems across their lifespan.

In this performance improvement (PI) project, physicians will survey a minimum of ten patients, distribute two educational flyers, survey a minimum of ten more patients, analyze survey data, and reflect on resulting practice improvement.

Learning Objective:

This PI project is designed to improve patient and physician awareness on ACEs and toxic stress, and to study the impact of educational materials on patients’ understanding of ACEs and its health impacts.

Target Audience:

This activity is designed for family medicine physicians.

Participation and Credit:

Learners must register by August 22, 2025 and complete by September 22, 2025 to participate in and receive credit for this performance improvement activity; Read the target audience, learning objectives, and author disclosures; and Study the educational content online and complete the activity evaluation. Your certificate will be available to you as a downloadable link. You may print the certificate, but you cannot alter it. Successful completion of this activity enables the participant to twenty (20) Performance Improvement points in the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Family Medicine Certification program. For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board. 

Participating with a Practice Team:

Multiple learners may participate from the same practice, analyzing a single set of survey data. Each learner must be enrolled in the PI project separately, and move through each step of the project, although the survey and education steps may be performed collectively by the team. This will be explained in more detail in the course materials.

Unlabeled Use Disclosure:

This activity will not include discussions of products or devices that are not currently approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the curriculum clearly indicates this fact.

Support:

This activity is sponsored by the California Academy of Family Physicians and supported by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Fee:

There is no charge for this activity.

Cultural/Linguistic Competency:

CAFP policy and California state law requires that each learning activity have elements of cultural and linguistic proficiency included in the content. The definition of cultural and linguistic competency is the ability and readiness of health care providers and health organizations to humbly and respectfully demonstrate, effectively communicate, and tailor delivery of care to patients with diverse values, beliefs, identities, and behaviors, in order to meet patients’ social, cultural, and linguistic needs as it relates to patient health. This activity meets these requirements.

Implicit Bias:

CAFP policy and California state law requires that all CME activities comprising a patient care element include either (1) examples of how implicit bias affects perceptions and treatment decisions of physicians and surgeons, leading to disparities in health outcomes and/or (2) strategies to address how unintended biases in decision-making may contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing differences in medical treatment along lines of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics. This activity meets these requirements.

Privacy Policy:

The California Academy of Family Physicians (CAFP) is committed to protecting the privacy of its members and customers. CAFP maintains safeguards to store and secure information it has about members and customers. The safeguards may be physical, electronic or procedural. For more information, contact cafp@familydocs.org.

Questions:

For questions regarding the content of this activity or for technical assistance, contact cafp@familydocs.org.

The CAFP has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge at the time of accreditation of this continuing education program. Information regarding drugs (e.g., their administration, dosages, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, special warnings, and precautions) and drug delivery systems is subject to change, however, and the learner is advised to check the manufacturer's package insert for information concerning recommended dosage and potential problems or cautions prior to dispensing or administering the drug or using the drug delivery systems.

Approval of credit for this continuing education program does not imply endorsement by CAFP of any product or manufacturer identified.

Any medications or treatment methods suggested in this CME activity should not be used by the practitioner without evaluation of their patient's condition(s) and possible contraindication(s) or danger(s) of use of any specific medication.

Copyright:

© 2024 California Academy of Family Physicians. No part of this activity may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in articles or reviews.