Philadelphia, PA, August 15, 2014 – At the August 2 meeting of its directors, the leadership of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) agreed that the current language used for reporting whether or not ABIM Board Certified physicians are meeting requirements in ABIM's new Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program is causing legitimate confusion because many physicians hold some certificates which are grandfathered, or “lifetime” certificates. These physicians are encouraged but not required to participate in MOC for those certifications. Currently, all ABIM physicians are reported as either Meeting or Not Meeting MOC Requirements.
ABIM adopted the “Meeting MOC Requirements” language as part of the framework developed for all certifying Boards by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). ABIM is committed to maintaining common standards across the Board community and is exploring what changes to the reporting language can be made, working closely with ABMS. ABIM fully supports ABMS efforts to ensure that Web reporting of certification status is clear and consistent across the community of specialty Boards, and helps patients understand physician participation in the MOC program.
The ABIM directors also reiterated their commitment to working with specialty societies and listening to constructive suggestions to improve the MOC program. The group discussed reaction to ABIM's July MOC Summit of medical specialty society leaders, as well as a July 28 and July 10 letter to internal medicine colleagues in which ABIM responded to concerns voiced about the new MOC program. ABIM leadership said that much of the feedback with respect to the series of changes to the program outlined by ABIM in both letters was positive. ABIM officials reaffirmed ABIM's role as a standard setting organization committed to ongoing summative and formative assessment of physicians over the course of their career.
For media inquiries, contact Lorie Slass at press@abim.org.
ABIM Board Certified Doctors Make a Difference
Internists and subspecialists who earn and maintain board certification from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) differentiate themselves every day through their specialized knowledge and commitment to continual learning in service of their patients. Established as an independent nonprofit more than 80 years ago, ABIM continues to be driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly changing world. Visit ABIM's blog to learn more and follow ABIM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. ABIM is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties.