WASHINGTON – Shorter, more frequent MOC assessments are coming to an office or home computer near you under a new American Board of Internal Medicine certification option announced May 5 at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians.
The new option comes in response to outrage expressed in meetings and online by physicians affected by ABIM recertification protocols that many said were redundant and impractical.
“We know there has been a lot of frustration, and anger and concern,” said Dr. Yul Ejnes, who serves on the ABIM’s internal medicine specialty board.
Whitney McKnight/Frontline Medical News
The new MOC option was developed with the feedback of thousands of ABIM diplomates, Dr. Richard J. Baron said.
“Already more than 9,000 ABIM board-certified physicians have shared their opinions with us through a survey and hundreds more are helping ABIM by participating in our [maintenance of certification] blueprint review and open book study,” said Dr. Richard J. Baron, president and CEO of ABIM.
Starting January 2018, the new option will mean that physicians who take shorter assessments on their personal or office computer – with properly authenticated security measures – can do so more frequently than every 10 years, but no more than annually. Physicians also will be able to participate in crafting assessments based on their actual practice experience, and eventually, if they perform well, test out of the longer assessments currently mandated every 10 years.
“By offering shorter assessments, that [can be taken] at home or at the office, we hope to lower the stress and burden that many physicians have told us the current 10-year exam generates,” Dr. Baron said. However, since 20% of diplomates surveyed said they preferred the 10-year exam, it will continue to be an option.
The shorter assessment may be available to some internal medicine subspecialties in 2018, Dr. Baron said.
Physicians maintaining certification in internal medicine whose certification expires before January 2018 will need to pass the current exam, although they will not need to assess again for 10 years.
A blueprint for a new exam has been created based on feedback from dozens of internal medicine professional organizations. The blueprint focuses on the most important things to know in daily practice, as well as the important things to know that aren’t encountered in daily practice, according to ABIM officials.
“The feedback we have so far on the new blueprint is that it is more relevant,” said Dr. Patricia M. Conolly, ABIM chair-elect. “We know it isn’t perfect, and we know we’ll never get it exactly right, but we will have an ongoing process to ensure the exam reflects what internists are doing.”
The ABIM is currently accepting comments on the proposed assessment, and expects to announce more specific details before the end of 2016.
Dr. Baron said ABIM is testing an “open book” assessment as well as ways to provide secure assessments at a physician’s home or office. ABIM also seeks to determine how to provide immediate feedback on assessments and learning activities and will work with societies to expand the number of continuing medical education activities available for MOC credit.
On Twitter @whitneymcknight