The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board of Directors (BOD) has announced its plans to address the recommendations shared in the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission’s (Commission) final report. The ABMS BOD reviewed the Commission’s final report in detail during its February meeting, assessing how best to address the recommendations outlined. The BOD agreed to the following first steps in implementing the Commission’s findings:
- Creation of the “Achieving the Vision for Continuing Board Certification” Oversight Committee charged with directing the implementation strategy. This committee will seek guidance from the ABMS’ new Stakeholder Council and various stakeholders in the continuing certification process throughout the implementation process.
- Creation of the following four collaborative task forces that will include representatives from external stakeholders, focusing on the following areas identified in the Commission’s report:
- Remediation Pathways
- Professionalism
- Advancing Practice
- Information and Data Sharing.
- Agreement of all 24 ABMS Member Boards to commit to longitudinal or other formative assessment strategies and offer alternatives to the highly secure, point-in-time examinations of knowledge.
- Commitment by the ABMS to develop new, integrated standards for continuing certification programs by 2020. The standards will address the Commission’s recommendations for flexibility in knowledge assessment and advancing practice, feedback to diplomates, and consistency.
In announcing these initial plans, the ABMS and its Member Boards reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Commission’s recommendations, and maintaining the inclusive nature of the Commission by working with external stakeholders as well as those within the Boards Community. These and future implementation efforts will help the Boards evolve continuing certification into a meaningful and relevant program that both brings value to a physician’s practice and meets the highest standard of quality patient care.