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ABIM changes exam score report, updates MOC exam blueprint
The American Board of Internal Medicine has made changes to its Maintenance of Certification program, including updates to its exam outline and...
Physicians certified in nine internal medicine subspecialties no longer have to maintain underlying certifications, according to a policy change from the American Board of Internal Medicine.
In a July 1 statement, ABIM announced that no disciplines within its MOC program will require underlying certification, and that all ABIM diplomates can choose the certifications they wish to maintain. The policy goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
Dr. Wayne J. Riley, president of the American College of Physicians called the change necessary and welcome.
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“ABIM’s policy change regarding underlying certifications reflects ACP’s repeated recommendation that the MOC process be relevant to a variety of practice settings, not redundant with other requirements, and sensitive to cost and time,” Dr. Riley said in an interview.
ABIM President and CEO Richard J. Baron said the underlying disciplines are important in building the foundation of knowledge for initial subspecialty certification, but that keeping the MOC requirement in place did not account for the increased specialization of physicians’ practices over their careers.
“As we work to increase the relevancy of the Maintenance of Certification program for physicians, we want to give them greater flexibility to choose to recertify in those areas that best reflect what they are doing in practice,” Dr. Baron said in a statement.
Subspecialists in the following areas will no longer be required to maintain an underlying certification:
• Advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology (cardiovascular disease).
• Clinical cardiac electrophysiology (cardiovascular disease).
• Interventional cardiology (cardiovascular disease).
• Adult congenital heart disease (cardiovascular disease).
• Transplant hepatology (gastroenterology).
Further, diplomates in adolescent medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, sleep medicine, and sports medicine will no longer be required to maintain another certification.
The policy will not change requirements for initial certification in such subspecialties, and doctors will still need to be certified in a foundational discipline in order to initially certify in a subspecialty, according to ABIM.
The board decided to remove the MOC requirement after discussion and input from 15 medical specialty societies, including the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association. The team of physicians concluded that once the initial certification process is completed, physicians should only be required to maintain one specialty board certification, said Dr. John I. Allen, AGA president.
“This is compatible with many other physician practices,” Dr. Allen said in an interview. “For example, I maintain GI boards but not internal medicine, which was required during my initial certification. We believe this policy facilitates consistency among all specialties.”
Dr. Allen noted that physicians can choose to maintain more than one certification.
Dr. Kim A. Williams Sr., ACC president, said the modification is a good start, but that the ABIM’s MOC program needs more work. The ACC looks forward to continuing to work with ABIM to address other areas that require potential revision, he said.
“It’s a welcome change, but it’s part of a process that we’re hoping will make the entire Maintenance of Certification [program] more user friendly, more focused on improving practice, and, indeed, making it something that physicians are happy to embrace,” Dr. Williams said in an interview.
The change to the underlying certification requirement is the latest in an ongoing series of modifications to ABIM’s MOC process. In early June, ABIM rolled out changes to its exam outline and score report. Starting with spring 2015 exams, physicians will receive enhanced score reports with more performance details, according to a June 9 announcement by ABIM. The board has also updated its internal medicine MOC blueprint – the exam content outline – to ensure that the exam reflects how internists are practicing today and to provide more detailed explanations of topics that may be included in the exam.
The growing list of changes follows a February announcement by ABIM apologizing to physicians for an MOC program that “clearly got it wrong.”ABIM pledged to make the program more consistent with physicians’ practice and values. Among the immediate changes are updates to its internal medicine exam, suspension of the practice assessment, patient voice, and patient safety requirements for at least 2 years, and setting MOC enrollment fees at or below 2014 levels through at least 2017.
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