CHAMBER: A Regional Performance Improvement CME Initiative for Breast Cancer Health Care Providers.

CHAMBER was a regional educational initiative for providers of care to patients with HER2+ breast cancer. The study goals were to (1) enhance testing for HER2/neu overexpression in patients with invasive breast cancer; (2) increase the appropriate use of targeted therapy for patients with HER2+ breast cancer; and (3) enhance patients' coping ability. This Performance Improvement Continuing Medical Education (PI-CME) initiative included clinical practice assessment, educational activities, and reassessment.

VISION: a regional performance improvement initiative for HIV health care providers.

Introduction: VISION (HIV Integrated Learning ModuleS: Achieving Performance Improvement through CollaboratiON) was a regional performance improvement (PI) continuing medical education (CME) initiative designed to increase guideline-conforming practice of clinicians who manage patients with HIV infection.

Methods: The 3-part activity consisted of (1) clinical practice assessment and development of an action plan for practice change, (2) completion of relevant education, and (3) reassessment.

Results: The activity did not change practitioners' performance in clinical status monitoring and in patient treatment, in large part because guidelines were being appropriately implemented at baseline as well as after the educational intervention.

New developments in the therapy of pulmonary fibrosis.

Fibrosis is a normal response to injury. When it becomes excessive, however, it can interfere with the normal function of various organs. In the lungs fibrosis can lead to interstitial pneumonias.