ABIM implements changes to MOC program

(HealthDay)—The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) has changed or suspended several of the recent revisions made to its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, to the satisfaction of American medical organizations, according to an article published Feb. 3 in Medical Economics.

The changes, which were announced by ABIM's president and chief executive officer, Richard Barron, M.D., include immediate suspension of Practice Assessment, Patient Voice, and Patient Safety requirements of the MOC process for at least two years. Furthermore, there will be changes in the wording on the ABIM website, from "meeting MOC requirements" to "participating in MOC." The internal medicine exam will be updated to reflect current practice, and enrollment fees will be kept at or below 2014 levels through at least 2017.

In response to these changes, the founder of the anti-MOC organization Change Board Recertification was reported as calling the announcement "just a small step;" he pledges to continue working until the MOC "scam" has been revealed and abolished. Other medical organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and American College of Physicians, reported being very pleased that the ABIM had listened to physicians' concerns.

"Today's announcement aligns with the AMA's MOC principles as we have strongly advocated for a process that is evidence-based and evaluated regularly to ensure physician needs are being met and activities are relevant to clinical practice," according to a written statement from the AMA.

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