The ACC and the American College of Physicians (ACP) have announced plans to launch a pilot program, PINNACLE Primary Care, that will expand the PINNACLE Registry to assess performance measures for primary care practices. The new program, which will be known as PINNACLE-PC, will measure performance on breast and colon cancer screenings, influenza and pneumonia immunizations, lower back pain, diabetes, depression, weight management, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. |
"Registries are excellent quality improvement tools," said ACC President Dr. William Zoghbi, MD, FACC. "Registry participants receive quick feedback that can help practices ensure that they are providing consistent, evidence-based care. Expanding the PINNACLE Registry to include primary care is a natural extension of this great resource, which will ultimately improve care."
"We are very enthusiastic about our collaboration with ACC and this program to test the PINNACLE Registry in primary care internal medicine practices," said ACP President David L. Bronson, MD, FACP.
Expanding PINNACLE to primary care has been a goal for the registry since its inception. The pilot will begin this summer with five to 10 internal medicine practices. Data from pilot practices will be collected through December 2012 and results will be analyzed in early 2013. If the pilot is successful, the PINNACLE Registry will be made available to ACP members.
The PINNACLE registry already assists practices in understanding and improving care through the production and distribution of quarterly performance reports for data-submitting practices and physicians. The reports cover all valid patient encounters and detail adherence to 25 cardiovascular clinical measures at the physician, location, and practice levels across the diagnoses of coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. Thirteen additional performance measures will be added to PINNACLE to create PINNACLE-PC.