New Continuing Certification Standards Reflect Fundamental Changes BY R I C H A R D E . H AW K I N S , M D
Board certification by one of the 24 member boards that comprise the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) represents a physician’s or medical specialist’s advanced knowledge, training, and skills in a particular area of medicine. It is a program of rigorous, continuous professional assessment and development that begins with initial certification after completing residency training and is sustained through continuing certification—an ongoing process in which board-certified physicians (diplomates) demonstrate their lifelong commitment to professional growth and excellence.
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The innovative assessment models endorsed by the new Standards support and direct learning and complement continuing education.”
Numerous research studies1 demonstrate that diplomates of ABMS member boards practice safer, higher-quality medicine and have fewer disciplinary actions2 by state medical licensing boards than physicians who are not board certified. Physician participation in continuing certification is linked to improved care3 for patients with asthma, diabetes, and hypertension—all chronic conditions that have a significant impact on health and well-being in this country. It is also associated with improved care for children and the elderly. In October 2021, the ABMS Board of Directors approved the new Standards for Continuing Certification4 (Standards) to be effective Jan. 1, 2024. The board’s approval followed three years of consultation with physicians, professional and state medical societies, consumers, and other public stakeholders from across the healthcare spectrum to reconceive the way specialty physician recertification is conducted. The new Standards also reflect the recommendations from the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission,5 an independent commission that met throughout 2018 to provide strategic guidance to the ABMS Board of Directors and member boards. This approval serves as a pivotal moment for ABMS, our member boards, and the greater healthcare community because it enables ABMS to deliver on its mission in two fundamental ways that closely align with the tagline of America’s Physicians Groups: “Taking responsibility for America’s health.”
INNOVATIVE ASSESSMENT MODELS The first way relates to the recognition that ABMS and our member boards can bring value to board-certified physicians. The innovative assessment models endorsed by the Standards support and direct learning and complement the continuing education all physicians undertake to improve their knowledge and skills. The transition to longitudinal assessments6—away from high-stakes 10-year exams—will enable the boards to better balance formative and summative approaches. Moreover, the longitudinal assessment model is founded on strong evidence to promote learning and retention.
18 l JOURNAL OF AMERICA’S PHYSICIAN GROUPS
Fall 2022
