George Mejicano (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health); Sigita Wolfe (American Board of Medical Specialties); Mellie Pouwels (American Board of Medical Specialties); Richard Hawkins (American Board of Medical Specialties)

Purpose

In 2011, ABMS administered a detailed survey related to the development, approval, and scope of activities pertaining to ABMS MOC Parts II and IV (i.e., lifelong learning & self-assessment and practice performance improvement). The primary purposes for the survey were to identify current best practices and processes used by Member Boards as well as to understand what assistance they might need.

Methods

Prospective questions were drafted and feedback sought from volunteers who completed a beta test version of the 46 question survey. Feedback was incorporated into the final version of the survey, which was released to all 24 ABMS Member Boards in June. The survey was administered through an online application, allowing respondents to upload pertinent documents. Each Member Board was asked to complete a single survey and the responses were analyzed in aggregate.

Results

In total, 20 of 24 surveys (83%) were returned and the results will be reviewed in detail. Initial results indicate that substantial resources are needed to implement MOC (especially Part IV). The Member Boards see a role for CME related to patient safety and lifelong learning, but less so for self-assessment and practice performance improvement.

Applications and Future Directions

Survey results will be used by ABMS to further delineate the role of CME in MOC. Member Boards currently need additional resources in order to fully implement their MOC programs.