In September 2004, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), joined together to create a voluntary organizational alliance that is dedicated to developing methods that will most effectively and efficiently measure and improve performance in the ambulatory care setting. This alliance, named the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance (AQA) soon identified a "starter set" of measures for assessing ambulatory care.

PIER - ACP's Physicians' Information and Education Resource, a point-of-care, web-based decision-support tool - now contains 425 modules that provide guidance and information on more than 300 diseases and conditions. PIER modules also contain information on ethical and legal issues; complementary and alternative medicine; and screening, prevention and procedures.


ACP (Doctors of Internal Medicine. Doctors for Adults.©) is the nation's largest medical-specialty organization and second-largest physician group. Membership includes physicians who provide comprehensive primary and subspecialty care to tens of millions of patients, including taking care of more Medicare patients than any other physician specialty. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illnesses in adults. ACP works to enhance the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine.

The ACP is committed to keeping its members up to date in internal medicine by providing programs and services that foster their professional development throughout their careers. The following is a partial list of informational and educational tools that keep member physicians at the top of their profession. All benefits, including subscriptions to publications, are activated upon receipt of the annual dues payment.

Review the elements of the Pier system on The ACP Website

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