Family Physician Participation in Maintenance of Certification

The Article in Brief

Family Physician Participation in Maintenance of Certification

Jason C. B Rinaldo , and colleagues

Background Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is the process by which the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) continually assesses the clinical performance of its Diplomates. It is also intended as a means to improve quality of care. This study explores family physician participation in Maintenance of Certification and the geographic, demographic, and practice characteristics associated with variations in certification of family physicians by the ABFM.

What This Study Found The great majority of family physicians in the United States have current board certification and are actively engaged in the voluntary Maintenance of Certification process. Family physicians practicing in poorer and underserved areas were more likely to have lapsed board certification and to have missed initial MOC certification requirements. Family physicians older than 55 years were twice as likely as their younger colleagues to have allowed their certification to lapse and were less likely to participate in MOC.

Implications

• Widespread participation in MOC suggests it is a viable mechanism for disseminating information, with the potential to influence US health care quality.
• The authors note that as more studies link quality of medical care to board certification, it is troubling that physicians who have not maintained certification tend to be practicing in underserved areas or caring for underserved populations. High levels of health care disparities and the need for high-quality care in those areas make it even more pressing to understand the barriers to participation in MOC by these physicians.