Family medicine residency clinics are challenged with meeting the dual missions of education and clinical care. Achieving both missions is particularly difficult when residents and faculty are frequently away from the clinic, undermining continuity of care. This in turn creates frustrating and overwhelming conditions in the clinic for patients, faculty and learners. Recent changes in family medicine residency requirements support increased attention to developing high-functioning teaching clinics.

In this performance improvement (PI) project, participants will measure patient-centered continuity at baseline and again after implementing at least one Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle, and then reflect on resulting practice improvement.

Measuring continuity requires that all patients are empaneled to a primary care clinician (faculty resident, nurse practitioner or physician assistant) so that it is clear which clinicians are responsible for which patients. Accurate empanelment is a critical foundation for measuring continuity. 

Learning Objective:

This PI project is designed to improve patient-centered continuity in the family medicine teaching clinic.

Target Audience:

This activity is designed for family medicine physicians.

Participation and Credit:

Learners must complete the project by August 31, 2025 to receive credit for this performance improvement activity. Requirements are to read the course information thoroughly, including target audience, learning objectives, and author disclosures; study the educational content online; complete the project; submit data and attestation; 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 earn 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:

We encourage teamwork for this PI Project. Multiple learners may participate from the same practice, analyzing a single set of data. Each learner must be enrolled in the PI project separately and complete each step of the project in this portal, although the data collection and PDSA steps may be performed collectively by the team.

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 Foundation 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, see our website or contact [email protected].

Questions:

For questions regarding the content of this activity or for technical assistance, contact [email protected].

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:

© 2025 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.