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 2009 The measure of family medicine Go to The measure of family medicine 2014 The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice. Go to The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice. 2016 Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All? Go to Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All? 2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success
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 2009 The measure of family medicine Go to The measure of family medicine 2014 The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice. Go to The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice. 2016 Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All? Go to Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All? 2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success
2014 The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice. Go to The Evolution of Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV, Performance in Practice.
2016 Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All? Go to Reducing Burden, Assuring Competence, Improving Quality, and Enhancing Professionalism: How Can Abfm Contribute to All?
2017 The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success Go to The American Board of Family Medicine: New Tools to Assist Program Directors and Graduates Achieve Success
