Maintenance of Certification for Surgery

Maintenance of Certification is a program of continuous professional development created by the ABS with the other member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. MOC goes beyond traditional recertification at 10-year intervals to an ongoing process of education, assessment and improvement. It gives diplomates greater opportunity to assess the care they provide and formally demonstrate their commitment to lifelong learning and practice improvement.
This is a program developed by surgeons for surgeons. The American Board of Surgery is working with specialty surgical organizations to ensure that it is relevant to all practice areas. It is also intended to be a single standard for documenting a surgeon's commitment to quality patient care. The Board will coordinate its requirements with those of other regulatory organizations, such as state licensing boards, and is working with national and regional health insurers to gain recognition for diplomates.
How Does it Work ?
Diplomates begin once they certify or recertify in any ABS specialty after July 1, 2005. Until this occurs, the traditional recertification requirements for that specialty apply. MOC requirements run in three-year cycles. At the end of each cycle, diplomates report to the ABS about their MOC activities. A secure examination is also required at 10-year intervals. For diplomates who hold more than one certificate, only the secure examination must be repeated for each specialty.
Why Now ?
Board certification is considered to be the gold standard in assuring that a surgeon has acquired and sustained a certain level of knowledge, skill and performance. MOC will ensure that board certification remains a recognized, surgeon-defined, standard of excellence. MOC will provide diplomates with improved learning opportunities and a means by which to document the quality care they provide, while giving patients greater assurance that a surgeon certified by the ABS is providing safe, effective treatment.
Four Parts
It consists of four parts designed to assess physician competencies on a continuous basis:
Part 1 - Professional standing through maintenance of an unrestricted medical license, hospital privileges and satisfactory references.
Part 2 - Lifelong learning and self-assessment through continuing education and periodic self-assessment.
Part 3 - Cognitive expertise based on performance on a secure examination.
Part 4 - Evaluation of performance in practice through tools such as outcome measures and quality improvement programs, and the evaluation of behaviors such as communication and professionalism.
***Please note MOC has not been shown to improve patient outcome and in fact in its evaluation it has been found to result in time away from patient care and onerous costs to providers without tangible benefits.

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