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ABIM Announces Enhancements for Maintenance of Certification: More Flexible Options and Focus on Evaluation of Clinical Practice
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced enhancements to the Maintenance of Certification program today effective January 1, 2006 that will emphasize practice performance and simplify the process for physicians (or “diplomates”) who renew ABIM certificates in internal medicine and the subspecialties of internal medicine. “We’ve introduced new features to enhance flexibility and reduce redundancy for busy internists, while supporting the shared goal of improved patient care,” said Christine K. Cassel, MD, President of the ABIM. “These enhancements will bring increased value to patients and purchasers of health care, as well as ABIM diplomates, who represent forty percent of physicians in the US.”
The program will consist of the same three basic requirements: (1) holding a clean license; (2) completing self-evaluation; and (3) passing a rigorous secure exam of medical knowledge. The new features introduce more options for self-evaluation, and set requirements for self-evaluation in two categories—medical knowledge and practice performance.
“While evaluating physician knowledge is very important, it is not sufficient,” said Troy Brennan, MD, JD, President of the Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization and Chair of the ABIM Board of Directors. “Patients and payers also want assurances that physicians translate this critical knowledge into practice and have well developed clinical skills. ABIM certification is a key marker of quality.”
Diplomates will have many options to meet the new standard that emphasizes practice performance. Currently, the ABIM offers innovative, electronic tools called “Practice Improvement Modules,” for six common diseases and conditions, including preventive cardiology and diabetes; modules focused on care of the vulnerable elderly and hospital-based medicine will be available in May. These modules help physicians assess how their practice patterns compare to national guidelines, identify an area for improvement and implement a quality improvement plan.
Diplomates will also be able to use their own data or data they receive from a valid outside source (such as a group practice or insurer) toward credit for self-evaluation of practice performance. And, credit will be available for participating in an established quality improvement program (such as through a hospital or medical group) that meets ABIM standards. Other options will include tools to survey patients and peers or consulting physicians—again including options developed by the ABIM as well as by other organizations, such as the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS) survey developed by the federal government. Similarly, diplomates will have options developed by the ABIM as well as other organizations to meet the medical knowledge self-evaluation requirements. For example, beginning in April 2005, ABIM will offer credit toward Maintenance of Certification for completing a specially designed portion of American College of Physician’s (ACP) Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP-13).
“Physicians need to participate in life long learning and increasingly will be held accountable for clinical performance,” said William Golden, MD, Member, Board of Regents ACP and Professor of Medicine and Public Health, University of Arkansas. The collaboration between the ACP and ABIM demonstrates how new features will meet that goal while minimizing redundant effort and offering greater flexibility. The ABIM is working with other professional societies toward granting credit for self-evaluation tools they have developed.
Beginning in January 2006, the ABIM will use a point system to track self-evaluation requirements as well as the minimums for the categories of medical knowledge and practice performance. A simplified fee structure will be used to facilitate the process. The new fee will be a one-time payment that covers a full ten years of participation in the program, providing unlimited access to ABIM-developed self-evaluation tools (including access to CME at no charge), ongoing license verification, and one exam. The only additional fee will be to take more than one exam within the ten year period.
The ABIM Maintenance of Certification program (sometimes called “recertification”) rests on the principles that it must be relevant and useful for diplomates, patients, and health care systems. “We all want the best possible health care. Board certification and maintenance of certification are important markers of quality that we’d like to see all physicians pursue,” said Bruce Bradley, Director of Health Plan Strategy and Public Policy at General Motors and a Trustee of the ABIM Foundation. “ABIM’s program supports physicians who are committed to delivering high quality care, as well as the interests of patients and purchasers who seek demonstrations of quality and greater public accountability.”
Nearly two-thirds of ABIM diplomates who hold certificates with a ten-year time limit have enrolled in the Maintenance of Certification program. Program enhancements will better address their needs as well as encourage diplomates who do not have time-limited certificates (those issued before 1990) to participate in Maintenance of Certification.
“We will continually update our program and its components to keep pace with the evolution of medical practice and the environment in which general internists and subspecialists practice,” explained Dr. Cassel. “ABIM standards must remain relevant and meaningful to our diplomates, our patients, and other stakeholders.”
For more information, visit ABIM at www.abim.org or call 1-800-441-ABIM, ext. 3598.
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