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Since the inception of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Engagement Network in June 2019, volunteer Diplomates have provided valuable feedback and insights on a variety of topics and issues aimed at improving the Family Medicine Certification process. From improving how we communicate with physicians, to suggesting new self-assessment and performance improvement activities and participating in focus groups, the Engagement Network continues to be a strategic focus for ABFM to continuously connect with, and support, Diplomates in their certification efforts over time.

Feedback from recent Engagement Network surveys has informed how ABFM assesses and modifies the Continuous Knowledge Self-Assessment (CKSA) activity, provided suggestions for Knowledge Self-Assessment (KSA) activity topics, and led us to the development of the Performance Improvement (PI) Locator tool. In addition, members of the MyABFM Portfolio redesign user testing group have been instrumental in helping us to understand the user experience and implement improvements needed to better manage their certification activities. More recently, Engagement Network volunteers provided feedback on the idea of a digital badge and an ABFM Diplomate acronym to help bring awareness to the public about board certification and the commitment that Diplomates make to maintain it.

“This is exactly what we set out to achieve with the Engagement Network,” said Warren Newton, MD, MPH, President and CEO of ABFM. “We want to use ongoing feedback and idea-sharing as a catalyst for change and improvement so that certification remains relevant and valuable to family physicians.”

Excited by the level of engagement, ABFM hopes to grow the number of Diplomates in the Engagement Network by establishing an online community that allows members to connect with ABFM and their peers on a more dynamic basis—making it more timely, relevant, and useful. We want this community to be a forum where Diplomates can get involved, collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another in real time.

We are looking for Diplomates with diverse practices and experiences that are reflective of today’s trends who are willing to offer a fresh perspective and ideas about a variety of issues, including changes being considered to evolve certification. Look for more information in the coming months on how you can get involved, collaborate, and learn through the ABFM Engagement Network’s online community.