Abstract
Board certification is associated with higher quality care. We sought to determine the rates and predictors of attrition from certification among family physicians who achieved initial certification with the American Board of Family Medicine from 1980 through 2000. In this period, 5.6% of family physicians never attempted recertification, with the rate increasing from 4.9% between 1990 and 1995 to 5.7% from 1996 to 2000. Being male, an international medical graduate, or 30 years of age or older at initial certification was associated with not recertifying. With information about those likely to leave certification, the board can design and implement interventions that minimize attrition.
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: Drs Peterson and Puffer are employed by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Funding support: The Robert Graham Center received support for this study from the American Board of Family Physicians in the form of a contract for ongoing collaborative research.
Previous presentation: North American Primary Care Research Group; Nov 12–16, 2016; Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Supplemental materials: Available at http://www.AnnFamMed.org/content/16/1/55/suppl/DC1/.
- Received for publication March 6, 2017.
- Revision received July 26, 2017.
- Accepted for publication August 25, 2017.
- © 2018 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.