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Throughout the spring, ABIM staff has continued to engage medical societies in a variety of ways, one of which is attending their annual meetings. The most recent was the American College of Physicians’ (ACP) Internal Medicine Annual Meeting in Boston where my colleagues and I connected with hundreds of diplomates between the MOC-focused sessions and at the ABIM booth on the exhibit hall floor.

We heard specific and constructive feedback on ways to improve the MOC program. A number of themes arose from the many conversations we had with diplomates, including reactions to the February 3rd announcement:

  • Appreciation that some of the MOC requirements have been suspended. As I wrote in my February 3rd e-mail to ABIM diplomates, it is clear that parts of the program, including Practice Assessment, were not meeting the needs of physicians. Conversely, we have been impressed by the many innovative quality improvement activities that so many physicians are undertaking in their practices and health systems and have since shared with us.
  • Enthusiasm that ABIM will recognize more activities for MOC credit. In an effort to better link MOC with activities that physicians are already doing to stay current, by the end of 2015, we will begin to accept a wider variety of approved CME activities for MOC credit and streamline the process for our medical society partners to submit new activities.
  • Concern over the secure exam. Much attention is being directed to the relevance of the secure exam. Many physicians have indicated that the current exam is not reflective of day-to-day practice, in which they look up information or consult colleagues on a regular basis.

In addition to this feedback from the annual ACP meeting, ACP governance leaders are engaged in an ongoing dialogue with ABIM leadership – sharing with us their members’ concerns and recommendations regarding the MOC program.

We have been reviewing and considering all feedback, critical and otherwise, from the community as we look for ways to enhance the value of the MOC program. We will continue to connect with you at your upcoming medical society annual meetings, and you can always share feedback with me at rbaronmd@abim.org. You can also subscribe to the Transforming ABIM blog to receive weekly updates.