Phoenix Newsletter - October 2025 President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change Read President’s Message: Enduring Commitments in a Time of Change
Home Research Research Library The ABFM begins to use differential item functioning The ABFM begins to use differential item functioning 2013 Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Peabody, Michael R, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise Volume Annals of Family Medicine Source Annals of Family Medicine The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) believes that it is important to have evidence to show that the pass-fail decisions related to its examinations are based upon accurately determining the minimum knowledge necessary to be a board certified family physician, and furthermore, that these decisions are unbiased against any particular subset of the population. Accordingly, as part of the ABFM’s commitment to continuously improve the Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) process, the ABFM has started using differential item functioning (DIF) procedures to detect potentially biased items on its examinations. Although gender information has been collected for some time from examination applicants, we began collecting ethnicity data for applicants taking the MC-FP exam this past spring so that we could begin to conduct these analyses. ABFM Research Read all 2019 PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION Go to PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION 2014 Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates Go to Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates 2016 Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care Go to Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care 2017 Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores Go to Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores
Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Peabody, Michael R, and Puffer, James C Topic(s) Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise Volume Annals of Family Medicine Source Annals of Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2019 PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION Go to PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION 2014 Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates Go to Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates 2016 Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care Go to Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care 2017 Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores Go to Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores
2019 PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION Go to PURSUING PRACTICAL PROFESSIONALISM: FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
2014 Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates Go to Clinical informatics as an option for American Board of Family Medicine Diplomates
2016 Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care Go to Maintenance of Certification, Medicare Quality Reporting, and Quality of Diabetes Care
2017 Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores Go to Impact of One Versus Two Content-Specific Modules on American Board of Family Medicine Certification Examination Scores
