Group Practice Forum was founded to provide a unique and much‐needed channel for industry sponsored education to large group practices. GPF is guided by, and all education and services are vetted through, a Medical Advisory Board of leading primary care and specialist physicians who understand the group practice dynamic. The GPF network group practices have expressed an interest in and desire to adopt protocols that will help their member physicians achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the form of improved outcomes, adherence, and an enhanced patient experience.

There is a growing discrepancy between the dissemination and understanding of clinical information and the practical application of that knowledge in the practice setting. While it is important that the practicing physician be continually updated regarding therapeutic treatments based on the latest clinical data, it is equally important for him or her to understand how to implement this information in everyday practice. This is particularly challenging in a large group practice environment where there can be significant time, resource, and efficiency challenges.

Group Practice Forum (GPF) seeks to enhance the clinical practice of medicine through the provision of practice relevant clinical education and services within the group practice environment. GPF’s mission is to close the gap between clinical knowledge and the realities of integrating that knowledge to clinical practice.

Case study

Situation:

• Large group practice (200,000 patients) wanted to improve compliance with asthma care guidelines
• Only 40% of diagnosed asthma patients were on controller meds

Goal:

• 100% adherence to guidelines & all persistent asthma patients having trigger testing, avoidance of triggers and on controller meds

Action:

• Education program developed that involved entire practice staff (MDs, PAs, NPs)
• Tools provided to assist staff with patient education, improve refill rates and adherence
• Asthma champions developed in each of the groups clinical practice sites

Results:

• Net adherence to guidelines dramatically increased to 90% in 6 months–including trigger testing, peak flow monitoring, written treatment plans and compliance with controller meds
• A decrease in ED visits and subsequent hospitalizations for asthma
• Alignment with pay for performance and QI scoring improved the compensation for asthma patients and improved the bottom line for the group practice