Beyond the Clinic Family Medicine on a Mission Part 1: How Air Force Physicians Achieve Humanitarian Goals Read Family Medicine on a Mission Part 1: How Air Force Physicians Achieve Humanitarian Goals
Phoenix Newsletter - March 2025 President’s Message: ABFM’s Unwavering Commitment to Diplomates and the Specialty Read President’s Message: ABFM’s Unwavering Commitment to Diplomates and the Specialty
Home Research Research Library Specialty board certification in the United States: issues and evidence Specialty board certification in the United States: issues and evidence 2013 Author(s) Lipner, R S, Hess, B J, and Phillips, Robert L Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification, Role of Primary Care, and Achieving Health System Goals Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise, Performance Improvement, Professionalism, Quality Of Care, and Self-Assessment And Lifelong Learning Volume Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions Source Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions BACKGROUND: The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) certification and maintenance of certification (MOC) programs strive to provide the public with guidance about a physician’s competence. This study summarizes the literature on the effectiveness of these programs. METHOD: A literature search was conducted for studies published between 1986 and April 2013 and limited to ABMS certification. A modified version of Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels of program evaluation included the reaction of stakeholders to certification, the extent to which physicians are encouraged to improve, the relationship between performance in the programs and nonclinical external measures of physician competence, and the relationship of performance in the programs with clinical quality measures. RESULTS: Patients’ and hospitals’ value of board certification and physician participation in MOC are high. Physicians are conflicted as to whether the effort involved is worth its value. Self-reported evidence shows improvement in knowledge, practice infrastructure, communication with patients and peers, and clinical care. Certification performance is generally related to nonclinical external measures such as types of training, practice characteristics, demographics, and disciplinary actions. In general, physicians who are board certified provide better patient care, albeit the results have modest effect sizes and are not unequivocal. CONCLUSIONS: Certification boards should continuously try to improve their programs in response to feedback from stakeholders, changes in the way physicians practice, as well as the growth in the fields of measurement and technology. Keeping pace with these changes in a responsible and evidence-based way is important. Read More ABFM Research Read all 2020 Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update Go to Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update 2019 Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care Go to Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care 2004 The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community Go to The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community 2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training
Author(s) Lipner, R S, Hess, B J, and Phillips, Robert L Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification, Role of Primary Care, and Achieving Health System Goals Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise, Performance Improvement, Professionalism, Quality Of Care, and Self-Assessment And Lifelong Learning Volume Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions Source Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions
ABFM Research Read all 2020 Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update Go to Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update 2019 Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care Go to Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care 2004 The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community Go to The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community 2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training
2020 Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update Go to Characteristics of Family Medicine Residency Graduates, 1994-2017: An Update
2019 Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care Go to Facilitating Practice Transformation in Frontline Health Care
2004 The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community Go to The Future of Family Medicine: a collaborative project of the family medicine community
2013 The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training Go to The redistribution of graduate medical education positions in 2005 failed to boost primary care or rural training