April Grace | Verifications Team Lead
Delta Locum Tenens | www.DeltaLocums.com
ABMS Maintenance of Certification (MOC) – Better care is the destination!
Maintenance of Certification (MOC) was developed by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 physician-led Member Boards. This program addresses the needs of both physicians and patients. The program offers physicians a process to keep skills and knowledge current in a changing field where vigilance is key to practicing state-of-the-art specialty medical care. It also responds to increasingly selective healthcare consumers who are taking on a more proactive role in who provides their care and how. MOC offers evidence of highly qualified physicians who use best practices and evidence-based standards for care. This new four-part process continuously assesses the six core physician competencies adopted by the ABMS and ACGME throughout a physician’s career. The six competencies that have been identified as important to deliver quality care are communication skills, professionalism, medical knowledge, patient care, practice based learning and improvement which includes the ability to measure and improve quality of care and system based practice.
ABMS Implements Continuous Reporting of MOC Pilot through ABP:
CHICAGO - June 2, 2010 - The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) announced that its data file now reflects continuous certification reporting information for diplomates certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). ABMS’ reporting pilot will begin with ABP, the first and only ABMS Member Board to eliminate specific certification “end dates” for its diplomates.
For all ABP diplomates who are initially certified in 2010 and beyond, as well as those whose certificate currently contains an expiration date, ongoing certification with the ABP is contingent upon meeting the requirements for Maintenance of Certification (MOC). To maintain ABP certification, diplomats must successfully complete numerous requirements throughout the ongoing MOC cycles; thus the ABP no longer provides a specific end date to certification.
ABMS recognizes that some credentialers may still require a certification end date to complete primary source verification. As ABP diplomate certification status only changes at the beginning of a calendar year, unless revoked for disciplinary reasons, conducting annual primary source verification on or after February 15 will ensure credentialers have accurate certification status for ABP diplomates. The practice of conducting annual primary source verification in mid-February of each calendar year will also serve as a reminder previously provided by an official end date. Approximately 7,800 ABP diplomates whose certification expired December 31, 2009, are the first physicians to have this new designation.
“Although ABP’s policy does not affect other Member Boards, it aligns with the ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®) emphasis on continuous, life-long learning. For the credentialing community, the February 15 date will serve as an annual reminder to verify physicians’ credentials,” said Kevin B. Weiss, MD, president and CEO of ABMS. “We are pleased to be able to provide credentialers with this continuous MOC reporting data pilot program for ABP diplomates, and we look forward to hearing feedback from the credentialing community and further supporting their needs.” For additional information visit the ABP website at www.abp.org.
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