Infectious Disease Board Meeting Summary | Fall 2026
The ABIM Infectious Disease Board met on Sept. 14, 2026, voting to approve a new passing score for the Infectious Disease Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®) and holding discussions on quality improvement, patient engagement, vaccine policy and workforce challenges.
This meeting included representatives of the following societies*:
- The HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA)
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
- The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
See below for details of each agenda item. ABIM publishes reports of all Specialty Board meetings on the ABIM Blog.
Learn more about ABIM Specialty Boards.
ABIM Leadership Update*
Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH, MACP, President and CEO of ABIM and the ABIM Foundation, met with the Specialty Board to report updates across ABIM’s strategic initiatives, including program enhancements, expanding stakeholder engagement, new research and investments in technological innovation. Among these topics, the discussion highlighted recent research published in JAMA, showing that more than 22 million Medicare patients received care from doctors born outside the U.S. and that these physicians make up nearly half of the internal medicine workforce.
Erin Bonura, MD, MCR, FIDSA, Chair of the Infectious Disease Board, inquired about the organization’s expanded use of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it integrates human review in the process. Dr. McDonald shared that ABIM recently developed a tool to map assessment content to updated blueprints in a fraction of the time needed for human review, part of a range of new tools aimed at improving operational efficiency, while emphasizing that, as with any new technology, vigilant human review and oversight remain essential to the process. ABIM assessment content is always written and reviewed by physicians; AI tools are being used to support more efficient and accurate processes.
Health Equity*
Lorna Lynn, MD, Senior Vice President for Health Equity and Medical Assessment Engagement, updated the Specialty Board on ABIM’s health equity work. ABIM remains firmly committed to advancing health equity and continues to work in the areas outlined in the Equity Statement: developing health equity content for assessments, working to ensure that assessments are fair and conducting research to advance equity in the profession. Dr. Lynn noted that this work involves staff throughout the organization, along with many physician volunteers, including Item-Writers and Approval Committee members. ABIM continues training staff and volunteers and building the systems needed to expand this work through all disciplines. Dr. Lynn noted the research published in JAMA highlighting the contributions of physicians born outside the U.S. to the internal medicine workforce, which was authored by ABIM researchers and members of the ABIM Equity Committee.
ABIM’s equity work has also benefited candidates for initial certification through the Needs-Based Certification Exam Fee Assistance Program. Now in the second year of a planned five-year pilot, the Fee Assistance Program provides a 50% fee credit—$715—on the Internal Medicine Certification Exam for eligible first-time candidates who apply and attest to financial need, regardless of medical training background. Last year, more than 850 physicians applied and received the credit on their 2026 exam fee.
ABMS Standard 19: Engagement in Improving Health and Health Care*
Continuing its discussion from the spring, the Specialty Board returned to the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Standards for Continuing Certification, No. 19, which requires ABMS Member Boards to better track physician engagement in quality improvement work using existing measurements and reporting (i.e., without creating a new requirement for physicians themselves). Each of the Specialty Boards is involved in developing the definition of quality improvement with respect to their disciplines. Laura L. Sessums, JD, MD, Chief Medical Officer, proposed a working definition of quality improvement for the Specialty Board’s consideration. Their feedback—along with that from the other Specialty Boards—will inform the final definition of quality improvement that will be slated for review and approval by the ABIM Council in December. Determination of diplomate activities within the definition that qualify for recognition will follow in 2027.
Patient Engagement*
Yuvaram Reddy, MBBS, MPH, who joined ABIM in July as the inaugural Deputy Chief Medical Officer, is leading ABIM’s initiative to deepen engagement with patients and the broader public. In general, patients and the broader public have a limited understanding of the value of ABIM certification—particularly how board certified physicians take several steps to remain current in medical knowledge and how studies show the association between board certification and improved patient care. (See the independent review published in August 2026 in Academic Medicine.) Dr. Reddy presented the initial strategy for patient engagement to the Infectious Disease Board and sought members’ feedback, including their recommendations for patient-facing organizations with whom ABIM might engage.
Specialty Board members were enthusiastic about the plan for patient engagement. Members emphasized the need to engage the community to help strengthen trust in medicine and proactively address potential challenges that may arise. For example, one member shared the need to collaborate with other organizations to provide a shared voice around issues like vaccine integrity and workforce issues. Dr. Reddy’s team will use this input, alongside additional research, to develop an engagement plan over the coming months.
Leading Issues in Infectious Disease*
Vaccine Policy and Support
Led by Dr. Bonura, the Specialty Board had an open discussion about the effect of eroding vaccine support on infectious disease practice and assessment, noting recent measles outbreaks in some states and the challenge of writing valid assessment items amid shifting federal guidance and ambiguity. Members pointed out the value of resources like the Vaccine Integrity Project and guidelines released by IDSA and other societies. Infectious Disease Board members agreed that vaccine content remains an essential part of the assessment blueprint and that reaching rural, under-resourced and vaccine-hesitant communities remains an important priority for infectious disease clinicians.
Infectious Disease Workforce
The Specialty Board also examined workforce challenges facing infectious disease today, including declining fellowship match rates and the evolving role of advanced practice providers. They discussed concerns about the effects of immigration policy and proposed Medicare compensation cuts on attracting new physicians to the discipline. Members pointed to early exposure during medical school and working with societies to advocate for physician compensation as possible solutions to help attract more physicians to the specialty.
Society guests departed at this point in the meeting.
Infectious Disease LKA Passing Score
All ABIM assessments have a unique passing score, or standard, established through the recommendation of a panel of physician experts and the final approval of the Specialty Board of each discipline. Following the Angoff method, the standard-setting process convened three panels comprising 27 physicians in total to provide the content evidence for the Infectious Disease LKA passing score. These experts review assessment content and recommend the minimum proportion of questions an examinee must answer correctly to pass the exam (the passing score). The Specialty Boards then review the recommendation, the process documentation and the relevant policy data before adopting the final passing score for the exam. The final adopted passing score is used for approximately seven years until the standard-setting process is repeated. For the initial certification and MOC exams, a standardized score metric based on the passing score recommendation is published on the Score Report that examinees receive after the exam. For the LKA, interim Progress Reports (issued quarterly after the fifth quarter of participating) show the current passing score and a participant’s performance relative to that standard.
The passing score is distinct from the pass rate, which is the proportion of examinees who pass an assessment in a given year and varies with each cohort of examinees. ABIM publishes cumulative pass rates for initial certification and a report of certificates meeting the MOC assessment requirement each spring.
The Infectious Disease Board held a formal vote to adopt the passing score informed by recommendations by the panels, which will go into effect on January 1, 2027. LKA participants will be able to see their performance relative to the new standard on the Progress Report they receive in early January.
Learn more about ABIM’s standard-setting procedure.
Specialty Board Membership
ABIM issued notice in July about two openings on the Infectious Disease Board: one for a physician and one for an interprofessional healthcare team (public) member, both with an initial three-year term beginning July 1, 2027. Specialty Board members reviewed applications and met with candidates for the interprofessional healthcare team member prior to the meeting. Following a discussion, members agreed on candidates to recommend to the ABIM Council, which makes the final appointment.
Applications for the physician member opening were still being reviewed as of the date of the Specialty Board meeting, with plans to make a recommendation to Council. ABIM will contact all applicants in the months following the Council’s decision and announce the final appointees next July.
Specialty Board openings are typically published in July of the year prior to the start of the term. Current openings on ABIM Governance and the Item-Writing Task Forces can always be found on ABIM’s website.
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*Society representatives and other guests are invited to join for a limited portion of the agenda, marked with an asterisk. Other items are discussed by the Specialty Board in private.
