Skip to content

Blog

Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee Meeting Summary | Spring 2024

June 30, 2024  |  Posted by ABIM  |  Specialty Board Meeting Summaries

Robert Stansbury, MD, Chair of the Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee

The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee held its spring meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. The agenda provided an opportunity to update the Advisory Committee on activity at ABIM and allowed for discussion of pressing issues in the field. The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee was joined* by guests from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology Assembly and the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR).

The following is a summary of the spring meeting.

A Note on the Advisory Committee’s Composition

The Advisory Committee comprises physician representatives of six American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member boards (referred to as the “cosponsoring boards”), as well a public member with a patient or caregiver background in the field and an interprofessional member with experience in the field. The members are:

Conversation with the Administrative Board*

Prior to the meeting, members and guests of the Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee had the opportunity to view a video update from Richard J. Baron, MD, MACP, President and Chief Executive Officer of ABIM and ABIM Foundation, reflecting on current topics of priority for the administrative board and the internal medicine community, including:

  • The ongoing collaboration between ABIM and internal medicine societies to address their members’ concerns and feedback about the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. More than 30 societies met with ABIM in fall 2023, in addition to ongoing discussions throughout the year. In part, the collaboration also explores the need for focused assessments in select subdomains of specific specialties where enough physicians are focusing their practice. Focused assessments have already launched in sleep medicine and internal medicine, with more to come in the future, including hematology in 2026.
  • ABIM’s work to mitigate the spread and negative impact of misinformation for physicians and patients. Most recently, ABIM updated the way it reports certification status for physicians to be more transparent about why some certificates are no longer active, such as being “Revoked,” “Suspended,” or “Lapsed,” in alignment with American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) policies.
  • The establishment of a dedicated innovation team at ABIM to explore how emerging technology and artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to assess physicians in the rapidly evolving context of their requisite skills and practice environments. Among other things, ABIM is exploring a policy related to AI and assessments.
  • Dr. Baron’s approaching retirement later this year, the ABIM Board of Directors’ search for a new CEO and the transition to new leadership. (As of the time of this report, the new CEO has been announced.)

The group’s conversation centered on the importance and value of board certification, as well as MOC’s contribution to physician burnout. In discussing the application of several cardiology specialty societies to form a proposed “American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine,” Dr. Baron reaffirmed that ABIM remains committed to offering certification and MOC in cardiovascular disease and has recused itself from any part of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) decision-making process regarding that application.

Several members of the group suggested that physicians remain unconvinced of the importance of maintaining certification, particularly those maintaining multiple certificates. Dr. Baron acknowledged these perspectives and assured the group that ABIM and all ABMS member boards are looking into ways to streamline the program and reduce burden while still offering a valuable and meaningful credential.

Advisory Committee Oversight of Assessments*

The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the assessment blueprints and standards for certification, MOC and the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA®) in the discipline. Each spring, the Advisory Committee reviews data from the administrative board related to the population of new graduates entering the discipline, diplomates maintaining their certification through ABIM, workforce information, and assessment performance trends and feedback. Periodic review of these data helps to inform the Advisory Committee’s assessment decisions. The Advisory Committee discussed assessment data in the discipline and provided feedback to ABIM staff about which data were most helpful for ongoing oversight of assessment. Some of the data the Advisory Committee reviewed are publicly available on ABIM’s website, including:

The Advisory Committee discussed the differences in the rates of men and women taking the initial certification and MOC exams, and the difference in the number of physicians eligible for and choosing the LKA over the longform exam. On average, about 80% of eligible physicians are choosing the LKA across all disciplines, including sleep medicine.

The LKA and Physician Feedback*

Though ABIM has long prioritized physician feedback in shaping its programs, the organization has placed renewed emphasis on addressing elements of the certification program—and specifically the LKA—that can and should be improved, as well as fostering the community’s perception of the value of certification and physician pride in maintaining certification. Richard G. Battaglia, MD, FACP, Chief Medical Officer for ABIM, gave the Advisory Committee an overview of recent physician feedback about the LKA and actions that ABIM is considering, and invited the group to share their ideas and suggestions for ABIM to consider as it continues working with societies, diplomates and the broader internal medicine community.

Some of the group’s suggestions included:

  • Creating a pathway for physicians who are interested in enrolling in the LKA earlier than their 10-year assessment due date.
  • Waiving the MOC points requirement for those participating in the LKA or offering continuing medical education (CME) credit for participating in the LKA.
  • Allowing physicians participating in the LKA to remove their worst performance quarter similar to the American Board of Pediatrics’ longitudinal assessment. Dr. Battaglia explained the LKA has a similar feature permitting diplomates to not open up to 100 questions out of the total 600 offered, and that the assessment was designed for maximum flexibility around circumstances like medical issues, vacations and other personal events.
  • Creating a simple infographic that explains the various ways diplomates can earn MOC points. (A comprehensive guide is included on ABIM’s website.)

Exploring Focused Assessment(s) in the Discipline*

ABIM currently offers focused versions of its assessments in internal medicine (the Internal Medicine: Inpatient LKA and traditional, 10-year MOC exam) and sleep medicine (the Sleep Medicine LKA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Emphasis). Additional explorations have begun in gastroenterology and hematology with plans announced recently to develop malignant- and classical-focused versions of the Hematology LKA (in addition to the general Hematology LKA) to launch in 2026. ABIM plans to continue exploring the idea of focused assessments in other specialties with stakeholder input at multiple levels, including that of the Specialty Boards and Advisory Committees, to determine whether focused assessments are appropriate in those disciplines.

After some discussion, the Advisory Committee agreed that pediatrics might be an example of an area where a focused assessment would be valuable and determined that exploring the possibility would be worthwhile.

Update on the Quality Agenda*

Last spring, ABIM Specialty Boards and Advisory Committees discussed a new requirement for ABMS member boards to work with stakeholders to facilitate the development of discipline-specific quality agendas. The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee reviewed the standard and its implementation timeline at the spring 2023 meeting and took up the conversation again at the most recent meeting. ABIM staff provided an update on the quality agenda progress to date. Next, staff will convene volunteers who are interested to devise strategies for engaging stakeholder organizations and establish a systematic approach that can be used for identifying areas where patient care can be significantly improved.

Update on the Special Consideration Pathway for International Medical Graduates Pilot*

In spring 2023, the Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee and other discipline-specific governance bodies discussed the idea of creating a pilot program for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who have 1) completed their internal medicine training in another country (or completed a residency accredited by ACGME International), 2) fulfilled the ACGME criteria to be considered an “exceptionally qualified candidate” (see ACGME Common Program Requirements (Fellowship), III.A.1.c) and 3) successfully completed ACGME-accredited fellowship training in the U.S. or Canada. The pilot program would allow these physicians to be admitted to the Internal Medicine Initial Certification Examination once their successful completion of accredited fellowship training is verified. Once the Internal Medicine exam is passed, these physicians could then be eligible to take the Subspecialty Certification Examination in the area in which they trained.

Following these discussions, the ABIM Council moved forward with asking ABIM staff to develop community outreach plans and collect external feedback from stakeholders. That process—which will include outreach to employers, the Federation of State Medical Boards, state medical societies and patient-facing organizations—began late in 2023 and was ongoing at the time of the spring 2024 Advisory Committee meeting. The Advisory Committee received an update on this work and information about next steps, which involve a decision by the Council on whether to continue with moving into the next phase of public commentary. At its April 2024 meeting, the Council approved the development of a more detailed pilot model to be presented in June. It the pilot model is approved, ABIM will hold a public comment period beginning in summer 2024.

The Society guests departed at this point in the meeting.

Update on the Sleep Medicine Approval Committees

Sabra M. Abbott, MD, Ph.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Chair of the Sleep Medicine LKA Approval Committee

Dennis H. Auckley, MD, Case Western Reserve University, Chair of the Sleep Medicine Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee

The Approval Committees are responsible for approving and editing all assessment content, and maintaining the blueprints for the Initial Certification Examination, the MOC Examination and the LKA. There are two ABIM Approval Committees related to sleep medicine: the Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee (which is also responsible for the initial certification exam) and the LKA Approval Committee. Dr. Abbott and Dr. Auckley provided a brief update for the Advisory Committee on the composition of the Approval Committees, progress on item development in meetings this year and news about the Item-Writing Task Force.

Member Selection for the Sleep Medicine Approval Committees

The Advisory Committees are responsible for selecting members and chairs of the ABIM Approval Committees in their disciplines annually and as needed. At the spring meeting, the Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee reviewed candidate materials for a new chair and new members on the Sleep Medicine Approval Committees.

The group voted unanimously to approve the following appointments effective July 1, 2024:

  • Catherine McCall, MD, of the VA Puget Sound Health Care Center, will become chair of the Sleep Medicine Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee. Dr. McCall has served as a member of the Approval Committee since 2022. She is certified by and represents ABPN.
  • Colin Huntley, MD, FACS, Thomas Jefferson University, will join the Sleep Medicine LKA Approval Committee. He is certified by and represents ABOHNS.
  • Mariam Louis, MD, MSc, FCCP, FRCPSC, University of Florida College of Medicine/UF Health, will join the Sleep Medicine LKA Approval Committee.
  • Ashima Sahni, MD, FCCP, University of Illinois at Chicago, will join the Sleep Medicine Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee.
  • Muhammad Ali Syed, MD, FACP, University of Florida Gainesville, will join the Sleep Medicine Traditional, 10-Year MOC Exam Approval Committee.

The next Approval Committee openings are slated for 2025 and will be posted online in fall 2024. For more information about openings in ABIM Governance and the volunteer Item-Writing Task Forces, visit the website.

New Ways to Recognize Diplomates for Their Commitment to Staying Current

ABIM is exploring new ways to recognize physicians who participate in the MOC program. This includes finding new ways to celebrate assessment milestones and ongoing efforts to stay current. Nicole Welk-Joerger, Ph.D., Program Manager of Stakeholder Engagement for ABIM, shared information about the project with the Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee, including a number of proposed tactics for early consideration. Dr. Welk-Joerger invited members to share their feedback and reactions on how diplomates want to be recognized and what forms of recognition are most impactful for physicians.

Members of the group suggested considering promotional materials for patients and upgrades to the “Verification of Certification” part of the ABIM website, which is where patients and others can check the certification status of any diplomate. Additionally, the group noted that educational efforts aligning certification with safety and quality of care would help elevate the value of certification. Discounts on educational materials were also mentioned as a potential way to help diplomates feel like they are valued for their time and efforts in maintaining certification.

In Closing

The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee values the feedback and commentary of the entire medical community, including diplomates and society partners.

Do you have any questions? Are you interested in getting involved?

If you are certified by ABIM and have questions after reading this report, please connect with us through the following channels:

Join ABIM Governance

The Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee has two openings for terms beginning July 1, 2025:

  • A sleep medicine physician. Special consideration will be given to physicians that hold multiple certifications (i.e., those certified in sleep medicine as well as pulmonology, critical care medicine and/or internal medicine), international medical graduates, those practicing in a non-university/community setting and those in a rural practice setting.
  • A health care team member (e.g., RN, NP, Pharm.D., PA) with experience working in sleep medicine

In addition, the ABIM Council has three openings for terms beginning July 1, 2025:

Applications are due July 22, 2024, and appointments are expected to be announced in spring 2025. Openings on ABIM’s Approval Committees will be announced fall 2024. Visit the website for a complete list of current openings.

*Indicates society guests were present for this session.

ABIM governance, Robert Stansbury, sleep medicine, Sleep Medicine Advisory Committee, Summary Report

You may also be interested in...