Clinical Chart Review Module

Diplomates choose ONE Clinical Module OR Feedback Module to complete the PIP activity.

For the Clinical Module, diplomates demonstrate their involvement in quality improvement by choosing one of the following options:

Complete a Clinical Module from the ABPN Approved Products List
Participate in your institution’s QI effort that is approved by the ABMS Portfolio Program
Participate in an approved registry such as the Axon Registry from the American Academy of Neurology or the PsychPRO Registry from the American Psychiatric Association. AAN announced the Axon registry will close effective June 1, 2024. ABPN will accept Axon registry participation during 2024 as credit toward the Continuing Certification (CC) program Part IV requirement for the CC block ending in 2024.
Participate in a Joint Commission Certified Primary or Comprehensive Stroke Center
Participate in a Joint Commission accredited, specialty-specific Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE). Individual preapproval is no longer required.
- Click here for a preapproved OPPE sample.
Complete a quality improvement effort under the auspices of an International Certification Organization (e.g. RCPS-C) that meets the ABPN CC requirements; submit for preapproval.
Seek individual preapproval (at no charge) for your own developed Clinical Module, or your institution’s quality improvement efforts. Submit for preapproval using the Individual Part IV Improvement in Medical Practice (PIP) Approval Request Form.
- Click here for free, downloadable and preapproved Clinical Modules Examples submitted by ABPN diplomate peers.

Email documentation to questions@abpn.org for individual preapproval.

Step A: Initial assessment of five patient charts

Collect data from at least five of your own patient charts in a specific category (diagnosis, type of treatment, or treatment setting) obtained from your practice over the previous three-year period.
Compare the data from the five patient cases with published best practices, practice guidelines, or peer-based standards of care (e.g., hospital QI programs, standard practice guidelines published by specialty societies), using a minimum of four quality measures.

Step B: Identify and Implement Improvement

Based on results from chart reviews, develop and carry out a plan to improve effectiveness and/or efficiency of your medical practice.
If no areas for improvement are determined based on initial assessment, then maintenance of performance in medical practice should be reassessed in Step C.

Step C: Reassessment of five patient charts

Within 24 months of initial assessment, collect data from another five of your own patient charts (may use same or different patients)
Use the same category and practice guidelines for the initial assessment and reassessment steps.

General Information

Please allow ample time to complete the PIP activity (Steps A, B and C).
One PIP is required every CC block.
ABPN does not collect patient or peer data. If audited, ABPN will require that diplomates explain how they carried out the Improvement in Medical Practice activity and submit information about their process and improvement plan. See the ABPN Diplomate Audit section of this website for more information about audits.

Use our wizard to learn if you are already fulfilling the Clinical Module:

Learn options for completing a Clinical Module Activity with this short video: