Frederick N. Rowland, Ph.D., M.D., C.M.D., Medical Director at Mercy Community Health and Chief of the Section of Geriatric Medicine at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, has co-authored a new study commissioned by the American Medical Directors Certification Program (AMDCP).  The study finds that having an AMDA-certified medical director (CMD) contributes positively to a nursing home’s quality of care.  Analysis of data showed that quality scores represented a 15% improvement in quality for facilities with certified medical directors.  The study, which appears in the July issue of the Journal of American Medical Directors Association, is available at www.jamda.com/article/PIIS1525861009001984/fulltext .

 

According to Dr. Rowland:  “We long have thought that a CMD makes a difference in terms of quality; but until now, this just has been an assumption.  We now know that it is a measurable truth.  There is value for facilities that have CMDs as medical directors.” 

 

The AMDCP commissioned independent researchers at the Cowles Research Group to assist in the design of a study that would look at how quality of care is defined within facilities and the effect of a CMD on that quality.  After receiving a list of 547 facilities with CMD-designated medical directors, Cowles Group compared standardized quality scores of these facilities with the rest of the long-term care facilities in the country. 

 

Dr. Rowland suggests that this study provides evidence for states considering a mandate for CMD education or other similar training for nursing facility medical directors.  “ Maryland already has such a requirement,” he explains, “and it has been shown to make a difference.  Administrator and medical director responders said that there was more teamwork and that the medical director worked more with others on influencing care.”

 

AMDA established the CMD program in 1991 after three years of research and development using surveys, consensus conferences and experts to define the core skills and knowledge necessary for effective medical direction.  Since 1996, the program has been administered by the AMDCP.  Since its inception, the program has bestowed more than 2500 physician medical directors with the AMDA CMD designation.  Once awarded, certification lasts for six years, at which point recertification is required.