What is PIER Patient Information?
PIER (Physicians' Information and Education Resource) is a Web-based decision-support tool designed for rapid point-of-care delivery of up-to-date, evidence-based guidance for clinicians. The pages in this area are a subset of PIER, developed to help patients find relevant, medically accurate information about a wide range of topics. This information should never be substituted for a physician's judgment; always be sure to discuss the information on these pages with your physician. The patient education web pages are selected from web sites of reputable organizations by PIER's authors and editorial staff. The list of sites is evaluated and updated quarterly; however, provision of links to these web resources in no way constitutes formal endorsement of their content by the American College of Physicians.

Philadelphia -- (July 27, 2006) The Physicians' Information and Education Resource (PIER), published by ACP, now includes the PIER Quality Measures Tool. This new PIER feature is designed to help physicians understand and navigate the approximately 26 "starter set" measures issued and approved by the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance (AQA).

The measures were developed in an effort to improve preventive health services and patient outcomes when managing such conditions as asthma, coronary artery disease, diabetes, depression, falls, and heart failure. The PIER tool provides a list of quality measures, the criteria for applying them, and links to supporting recommendations and evidence in PIER.

According to David Goldmann, MD, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of PIER, "The new PIER tool was developed to help physicians by consolidating the list of AQA quality measures with supporting administrative and clinical information in one easily accessible place."

PIER is a free benefit to the 120,000 members of the American College of Physicians. For more info, go to The American College of Physicians Website.

ACP Congressional Testimony on Capitol Hill
The PIER Quality Measures Tool is an important step toward helping physicians participate in a reimbursement system that pays based on quality outcomes, the subject of congressional hearings on July 25th and July 27th. ACP will further its ongoing effort to improve the quality of patient care by testifying on Thursday, July 27, on Capitol Hill at the Medicare Physician Payment House Energy and Commerce Committee hearings titled "Medicare Physician Payment: How to Build a Payment System that Provides Quality, Efficient Care for Medicare Beneficiaries."