The on-site visit includes a site assessment, longitudinal chart review, interview, patient visit observation, etc. and site visit every six months for the duration of the program using standardized instruments and processes. Site visits are conducted by a PEP faculty mentor, typically a member of the faculty of the UCSD School of Medicine.

The PPDP is created jointly by PEP faculty mentor and participant. The PPDP may contain a combination of elements including recommendations for the implementation of systems-based practice improvements, a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) prescription, ongoing measurable Performance Improvement (PI) projects, etc. The primary objective of the PPDP is to teach physicians the process of self-managed continuous quality improvement and objectively measure the results.

The PEP faculty mentor will review your professional growth and development using the comprehensive PACE Intake instrument and other measures of continuing education, health behaviors, lifestyle variables and other factors that may affect performance.

On a monthly basis, participants will submit a number of randomly selected chart entries to be reviewed by their mentor using standardized methodologies and instruments.

After the PEP faculty mentor has conducted the monthly chart audit, a phone call will be scheduled between the PEP faculty mentor and participant to discuss progress on documentation, quality of care, and the Personal and Practice Development plan.

PEP faculty will provide brief summary reports on a monthly basis. On a quarterly basis they will provide detailed reports summarizing progress in the program and further recommendations.

The PULSE (which stands for Physicians Universal Leadership Skills Education) is a 360-type survey created by the Physicians Development Program and normed on over 750 physicians. It is administered to PACE participants and their colleagues and healthcare team members in order to assess motivating behaviors, disruptive behaviors and the six general core competencies. The results of the survey are scored and compiled into a report to demonstrate how the participant is perceived, both by himself and the community, in which he works. The survey is first completed after initial enrollment and then again approximately six months afterwards to measure improvement.