News for Your Practice

ObGyns’ status of Maintenance of Certification now public

Author and Disclosure Information

Information is now accessible via the American Board of Medical Specialties concerning whether physicians are meeting MOC requirements set by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology


 

References

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) sets the standards for physician Board Certification. ABMS has begun to publicly report on its Web site (www.CertificationMatters.org) the status of whether ObGyns meet the ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®) program requirements established by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG).

There are 24 ABMS Member Boards; 7 began reporting MOC status of the physicians they certify in August 2011, and ABOG is one of 11 boards that began to report MOC status in August 2012. The remaining six ABMS Member Boards expect to make MOC status available by 2014.

The results of a search show the physician’s name, the name of the ABMS Member Board(s) that certify the physician, and a “Yes”, “No,” or “Not Required” response to whether the physician is meeting the MOC requirements of that Member Board. In addition, the physician’s profile contains these features:

  • His or her status of all specialty and subspecialty certificates. For example, a physician can be Board Certified in General Obstetrics and Gynecology and the subspecialty of Maternal-Fetal Medicine.
  • If a physician became Board Certified before his or her Member Board(s) established their MOC program, and he or she is exempt from participating in MOC, a “Not Required” option is provided. If that physician voluntarily meets the MOC requirements of his or her Member Board(s), the profile will show a “Yes.”

Nearly 800,000 Board Certified physicians voluntarily meet specialty-specific standards beyond what is required for state licensing. Board Certification involves rigorous testing and peer evaluation designed and administered by specialists in a specific medical field. The ABMS MOC program promotes career-long learning, quality improvement activities, and self-assessment. Insurers, hospitals, quality and credentialing organizations, and the federal government recognize ABMS MOC as an important quality marker.

“As the organization that has set the gold standard in physician specialty certification for more than 75 years, this effort further demonstrates ABMS’ commitment to advance quality health care for patients,” said Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA, ABMS President and Chief Executive Officer.

Anyone can visit www.CertificationMatters.org to see if a physician is Board Certified by an ABMS Member Board.

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