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 The American Board of Family Medicine’s 8 Years of Experience with Differential Item Functioning The American Board of Family Medicine’s 8 Years of Experience with Differential Item Functioning 2022 Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Wang, Ting, and Newton, Warren P Topic(s) Education & Training, and Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise, and Psychometrics Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine INTRODUCTION: Differential item functioning (DIF) procedures flag examination questions in which examinees from different subpopulations who are of equal ability do not have the same probability of answering it correctly. Few medical certification boards employ DIF procedures because they do not collect the needed data on the examinee’s race or ethnicity. This article summarizes the American Board of Family Medicine’s (ABFM) combined use of DIF procedures and an expert panel to review certification questions for bias. METHODS: ABFM certification examination data from 2013 to 2020 were analyzed using a DIF procedure to flag questions with possible ethnic or racial bias. The flagged questions were reviewed by a racially and ethnically diverse panel of content experts. If the panel judged the source of the DIF was not clinically relevant for the practice of family medicine, the question was removed from the examination. RESULTS: Out of the 3487 questions analyzed, 374 unique questions (11%) were flagged by DIF procedures as potentially biased. Of the flagged questions, the review panel felt 4 should be removed for fairness. DISCUSSION: Using DIF procedures and panel review can improve the quality of the board certification questions and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to avoid racial or ethnic bias. Read More ABFM Research Read all 2019 Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance Go to Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance 2022 It Takes a Village to Redesign Residencies… Go to It Takes a Village to Redesign Residencies… 2021 Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent Go to Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent 2014 Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module Go to Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module
Author(s) O’Neill, Thomas R, Wang, Ting, and Newton, Warren P Topic(s) Education & Training, and Family Medicine Certification Keyword(s) Cognitive Expertise, and Psychometrics Volume Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Source Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
ABFM Research Read all 2019 Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance Go to Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance 2022 It Takes a Village to Redesign Residencies… Go to It Takes a Village to Redesign Residencies… 2021 Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent Go to Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent 2014 Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module Go to Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module
2019 Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance Go to Family Medicine Residents’ Debt and Certification Examination Performance
2021 Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent Go to Family Medicine Certification Longitudinal Assessment Becomes Permanent
2014 Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module Go to Family Physicians’ Quality Interventions and Performance Improvement Through the ABFM Diabetes Performance in Practice Module