Improving Performance Improvement

What is the future of performance improvement (PI)? Over the past 2 years, the American Board of Medical Specialty Certification Boards have implemented many changes to increase the value and decrease the burden of Board Certification and to decrease burden of what they are asking from Diplomates. American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) has implemented the Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment, launched an outreach campaign with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), its chapters, and the other organizations of Family Medicine, and is now systematically revising its knowledge self assessments and starting a national journal article activity. In no other area of ABFM’s certification activities, however, has there been greater effort to improve value than the PI requirement—with a focus on increasing the options to ensure alignment and relevance with Diplomates’ practice types and areas of interest; providing ways to help them easily choose relevant activities; and creating mechanisms for Diplomates to simply report on the quality improvement efforts in which they are already engaged within their practice.