Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions Award for Excellence in Research, 2006

Professions Award for Excellence in Research is presented annually by the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education (Alliance), the Society for Academic CME (SACME), and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME). The award is given to authors of the best research article published in the journal during the previous year. A selection committee reviews all eligible original research articles and rates them according to predetermined criteria. Each article is reviewed by a minimum of three reviewers. Three studies were short-listed this year from all the studies that collectively illustrated the relevance of research grounded in sound theoretical frameworks, the importance of selecting a rigorous and appropriate research design, data collection and analytical methods, and the value of insightful conclusions that inform both the theory and practice of continuing education in the health professions. The study conducted by Marianna Shershneva and her colleagues developed a theory of teaching-learning transactions in generalist-specialist consultations, based on an analysis of 48 formal and informal consultations reported by physicians. The article included an excellent literature review and was developed using a strong research design and clearly described data collection methods. The study identified three components to the learning process: needs assessment, dialogue, and sufficiency.1 The thematic analysis of research studies published in volumes 1 through 24 of the Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, by Anu MacIntosh-Murray and her colleagues, identified five key themes.2 This carefully conducted qualitative analysis reflected the increasing importance of research in continuing education in the health professions (CEHP), the description of a dual research-to-practice gap, and the increasing emphasis on the professionalization of continuing education providers and the focus on interdisciplinarity and links with broader frameworks that have been proposed for CEHP. The themes were well explained, and the conclusions and discussion offered recommendations relevant to closing the research-practice gaps identified. However, this year’s prestigious award is presented to R. Van Harrison, PhD, Connie J. Standiford, MD, Lee A. Green, MD, and Steven J. Bernstein, MD, for their study, “Integrating Education into Primary Care Quality and Cost “Improvement at an Academic Medical Centre,” which appeared in volume 26, number 4.3 This case study described a systematic, multifaceted program to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of primary care. The study assessed and described a process to measure the clinical performance or effectiveness of care for two measures of chronic care (two performance measures in diabetes: HbA1C testing and LDL–C levels), two measures of preventive care (breast and cervical cancer screening), and two measures of acute care in children (antibiotic use in upper-respiratory tract infection and pharyngitis with strep testing). All six measures showed general improvement in performance across years, with overall performance near or above the National Committee of Quality Assurance’s 90th percentile for Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set measures. The study was clear, comprehensive, and compelling. The report illustrated the importance of a systematic approach to considering all relevant components of a health system required to improve performance, the role and focus for continuing education as a component of the change process, and the need to address operational barriers to sustain change over time. On behalf of the selection committee, I thank the Alliance, SACME, and AHME and the editor of the journal for their encouragement and support of research that enhances and expands the practice of continuing education in the health professions.