Infectious Disease Board Meeting Summary | Spring 2026
The Infectious Disease Board held its spring meeting on March 27, 2026. Representatives from the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) joined for a portion of the meeting*.
Andrea Caballero, MD, served as chair pro tempore in the absence of the Infectious Disease Board Chair Erin Bonura, MD, MCR, FIDSA.
The following is a summary of the spring meeting. Visit the ABIM Blog for reports of prior meetings.
ABIM Leadership Update*
Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH, President and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation, discussed progress on ABIM’s strategic initiatives, including:
- Customized learning plans via collaboration with the American College of Physicians (ACP) that launched in February. A new feature in ACP’s Medical Knowledge Self-Assessment Program (MKSAP) allows subscribers to import their most recent ABIM internal medicine assessment results directly into their account, which will suggest learning tools to build an individualized plan.
- Enhancing early career physician engagement through an interactive online community platform, tailored resources for residency programs and the creation of an Early Career Committee, which will begin meeting in July.
- Progress of the Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) pilot for International Medical Graduates (IMGs), which has received more than 160 applicants to date. ABIM is using the pilot to test a model for board eligibility using a CBME framework, while removing barriers for physicians who meet the same standards as peers who completed accredited internal medicine training.
- The recently expanded blueprint review process, which involves a schedule of plans for updating blueprints in every specialty over the next several years. Practicing physicians in each specialty will continue to be invited to participate in updating each blueprint to reflect current practice.
- Recent communications about the importance of exam integrity and, in particular, the appropriate use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools on the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®).
Infectious Disease Board members discussed the increasing prevalence and influence of AI in medical practice and its potential impact on continuing certification. ABIM is exploring emerging technologies to improve assessments and incorporate AI effectively, with careful consideration to the broader context of AI usage in medical practice and education.
Developing a Quality Agenda in Infectious Disease*
As a next step in the development of a discipline-specific Quality Agenda, Infectious Disease Board members engaged in discussions to further refine the aims, drivers and relevant society strategies agreed upon by the Infectious Disease Board and specialty society partners during the small group work this past fall with subsequent conversations through the winter.
The Quality Agenda is one of the standards for continuing certification issued by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) for all Member Boards in 2021. This standard requires that Member Boards “facilitate the process for developing an agenda for improving the quality of care in their specialties.” (ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification, p. 15: Requirements for Member Boards, 18. Quality Agenda.)
Specialty Board members discussed the importance of health equity in improving healthcare quality and establishing the elimination of healthcare disparities in infectious disease as one aim of the Quality Agenda. They also agreed on the need for a decrease in the incidence of HIV infections and the need to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
Review the full Infectious Disease Quality Agenda.
Physicians Engaging in Improving Health and Health Care*
ABMS Standard 19 (ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification, p. 16) focuses on increasing the proportion of physicians engaged in improving health and health care, including quality improvement and patient safety. It requires ongoing reporting, increased participation and collaboration to ease engagement and reporting burdens. ABIM is not reintroducing a requirement for individual diplomates to participate in quality improvement activities. Instead, ABIM will work to increase recognition of quality improvement activities through pathways that physicians may already be using and expand engagement with healthcare and policy partners to facilitate that recognition. In addition, ABIM plans to recognize diplomate engagement in quality improvement more broadly under the expanded definition than it has in the past, without the need for diplomates to do anything additional.
The Infectious Disease Board discussed the importance of capturing quality improvement work throughout the healthcare landscape, including work in community-based settings and Federally Qualified Health Centers, and agreed to gather feedback from participants regarding quality improvement definitions through a post-meeting survey. Members noted that 36% of infectious disease physicians currently participate in quality improvement activities, with potential for increased engagement.
Updates in the Discipline*
Erica N. Johnson, MD, FACP, FIDSA, Senior Vice President for Academic and Medical Affairs, provided updates on the CBME pilot and the Needs-Based Certification Exam Fee Assistance pilot, which both launched last year. The needs-based program provides a 50% credit for eligible physicians who plan to take the Internal Medicine Certification Exam for the first time; more than 800 applicants received the credit in 2025 for the 2026 exam, and ABIM plans to continue the pilot this year for the 2027 exam.
Infectious Disease Board members noted that the CBME pilot pathway for internationally trained physicians seeking internal medicine certification shows promising early approval rates. In response to data shared showing the current practice type and location for approved CBME pathway applicants, they acknowledged significant gaps in rural healthcare practice and clinical work in non-academic institutions that may signal more limited opportunities for practice by physicians without board certification.
The group also discussed the variability in state licensing requirements, which complicates applicants’ eligibility for board certification. Also, more than 20 states now offer alternative licensure pathways not tied to traditional graduate medical education training at all, and while separate from certification, Specialty Board members expressed concern about oversight and standards for physicians licensed through these new pathways.
Oversight of Training in Infectious Disease*
Staff presented training and certification data in the specialty, and the Infectious Disease Board discussed concerns about declining match rates and unfilled positions in infectious diseases training programs. They noted that IDSA is collaborating with program directors to analyze recruitment trends and support smaller programs. Members noted that new training pathways aim to innovate residency education and potentially alleviate workforce shortages.
Oversight of Infectious Disease Assessments*
A large part of the purview of the Infectious Disease Board is its oversight of assessment. Each year, the Specialty Board examines data from participation in the assessments of each discipline. Members received population-level information, assessment updates and performance data to support informed decision-making and future assessment strategies.
Pass rates for initial certification in infectious disease remains high, with an ultimate pass rate of 99%. Specialty Board members also discussed trends in data on LKA enrollment. They supported the preparation of an annual physician report, including graphs showing physicians lapsing in certification within the discipline.
Visit ABIM.org for the Infectious Disease Annual Diplomate Report.
Infectious Disease Blueprint Review*
The Specialty Board reviewed proposed updates to the Infectious Disease Certification Exam Blueprint and the MOC Exam and LKA Blueprint following physician survey input and Approval Committee recommendations. Members discussed updates to the blueprint topic areas, focusing on first- and second-level changes across various domains, emphasizing the importance of clear categorization and nomenclature in test-writing tasks. Feedback from societies led to clarifications in topic descriptions and adjustments in domain content. Infectious Disease Board members agreed to continue refining the blueprint based on ongoing input and ensure alignment with current practices, including discussion of the potential inclusion of personal protective equipment in the infection prevention domain.
Proposed revisions to the Infectious Disease blueprints were ultimately approved by the Infectious Disease Board. The next step is for ABIM to issue a survey for infectious disease diplomates to review the proposed changes in the fall. The new blueprints will be published in January 2028 with changes applying to the fall 2028 certification and MOC exam administrations, and to the LKA starting in July 2028.
Focused Assessments in Infectious Disease*
ABIM staff presented an analysis of survey data on the scope of practice and the feasibility of focused assessments. The data indicated that 66% of infectious disease physicians identify as generalists, 23% have moderate specialization and 11% are highly specialized, with eight distinct physician clusters identified.
Specialty Board members noted that academic practice significantly influences physicians’ views on specialization compared to community practice. They discussed that HIV-focused assessments may be feasible by 2029, whereas immunocompromised host assessments are likely not possible until 2032–2033. After a discussion about the factors that may impact the future of HIV care in the near term, Infectious Disease Board members agreed to conduct an intent survey in early 2027 to gauge interest in an HIV-focused assessment and to consider collaborating with relevant societies, including IDSA, to increase survey participation.
Society representatives departed at this point in the meeting.
Appointments to the Infectious Disease Approval Committees
Specialty Boards are responsible for selecting incoming members and chairs of the Approval Committees in advance of new terms that begin in July of each year and as seats become vacant for other reasons. Following a review of the candidate materials and a candidate interview, the Specialty Board appointed Costi Sifri, MD, as the new chair of the Infectious Disease Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee.
Read about all new governance appointments as of July 1, 2026.
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*Indicates that society representatives were present for discussion of this agenda topic.
