Changes to ABIM certification process

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recently announced a significant change in how it will handle recertification and maintenance of certification (MOC).  Bimal Shah, MD, MBA, director of quality improvement and credentialing for the Department of Medicine, strongly recommends that all Department of Medicine faculty register for ‘Meeting Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Requirements’ by March 31, 2014. These are the new ABIM competencies for MOC that align with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS):

• Part 1 – Licensure
• Part 2 – Learning Assessment
• Part 3 – Examination (e.g., recertification exam every 10 years)
• Part 4 – Performance Assessment (where new MOC requirements come in)

Participation in the MOC is voluntary. However, in January 2014 the ABIM began reporting whether physicians are "Meeting MOC Requirements." Anyone not meeting MOC requirements will be listed as “Certified, not meeting MOC Requirements” on the ABIM website. Current Deadlines

• The critical deadline is March 31, 2014 – this ensures that you will be grandfathered for two years as “Meeting MOC Requirements.” The Department strongly recommends that all faculty enroll prior to March 31, 2014. Payment (annual or 10-year fee) provides access to ABIM self-evaluation products, CME credits, and one exam.

• By December 31, 2015, complete an MOC activity, either offered by ABIM (online) or another organization, to earn ABIM MOC points regardless of when your board certification expires.

• By December 31, 2018, earn a total of 100 MOC points in a mix of Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge and Self-Evaluation of Practice Assessment modules (as well as complete the new Patient Safety and Patient Survey requirements).

Other important considerations: Participating in the MOC is currently optional. However, it is expected that many institutions will make it a condition for privileging in the near future. It is also currently not a requirement for maintenance of licensure in NC and most states, but many states are using MOC for licensure (with a number of others considering) and payers are increasingly using board certification as part of contracting negotiations. These changes are significant, although at this time the ABMS/ABIM changes currently do not affect clinical privileges within Duke University Health System or licensure within North Carolina. The NC Medical Board has not yet made any changes to its CME requirements to reflect the new MOC requirements. MOC credits are universal; i.e. as you collect MOC points, they can be used simultaneously for all board certifications/renewals within ABIM (so Internal Medicine and subspecialty certification) specialties and in some cases across ABMS specialties. For more information, please visit the ABIM website (http://moc2014.abim.org/) or contact Dr. Shah.