Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP)

RATIONALE FOR CHANGING THE 30-YEAR OLD CERTIFICATION/RECERTIFICATION PROCESS

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) adopted a requirement that each of its 24 member boards develop specific mechanisms for implementing a Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process, which the ABFP has named MC-FP. The ABMS further required that all boards submit a plan for instituting the first 3 parts of this process by July 2003, with the expectation that all boards would begin their MOC process shortly thereafter.

The rationale for the MOC process is that medical knowledge is changing rapidly, and that physicians should continuously update their knowledge and skills so patients can receive the benefits of new developments. The ABMS believes one way to encourage continuous learning is to have specialty boards assess their Diplomates more frequently than in the past, and some of this assessment should focus on application of knowledge and on the patient-physician interface.

THE ABFP STRATEGY FOR MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION

When the ABFP Board of Directors began planning to implement these requirements, they wanted to avoid imposing unnecessary burdens on our Diplomates. Many of our Directors are in private practice, and they understand the pressures on the practicing physician.

To ease the transition to this new process, the entry of current Diplomates into the MC-FP process will be staggered over 7 years. A new group will start the process each year, beginning the year after they recertify. Diplomates who recertified in 2003 entered MC-FP January 1, 2004, along with those who were certified for the first time in 2003. Those who certify or recertify in 2004 will enter the process in 2005. This entry process will continue until January 1, 2010, at which time all Diplomates will be participating.

ABFP MC-FP REQUIREMENTS

SELF-ASSESSMENT MODULES (SAMS)—A FURTHER EXPLANATION

The current SAMs and those under development by the ABFP correspond to the 20 priority areas identified by the Institute of Medicine in its report Priority Areas for National Health Action. Transforming Health Care Quality. In January 2004 we launched a SAM on hypertension and another on diabetes mellitus. In January 2005, 2 additional SAMs, one on asthma and one on coronary artery disease, will be available.

SAMs are similar in many ways to the CME materials that the ABFP has made available. One difference is that SAM materials are available over the Internet, which provides both the convenience of completing the assessment online and the advantage of allowing the Diplomate to stop and return to the program at any time. A second difference is that the assessment is designed to demonstrate information mastery. The SAMs have 2 parts, and both must be completed to satisfy the requirement.

IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS TO ASSIST OUR DIPLOMATES

ABFP CHANGES ITS NAME TO THE AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE (ABFM)

Based on recommendations made by the Future of Family Medicine Project, the American Board of Family Practice will change its name to the American Board of Family Medicine and its Web site address to http://www.TheABFM.org. The name and Web site address changes became official January 1, 2005. Certificates issued by the American Board of Family Practice before January 1, 2005, remain valid through their stated expiration date.