ABPMR: The Changing Landscape of Continuing Certification-Session Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session, led by Carolyn Kinney and fellow presenters including Dr. Jeffrey Johns and Dr. Sherrilyn Driscoll, centered on the evolving landscape of continuing certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The presenters offered historical context, emphasizing the establishment of various certifying boards to delineate specialties and ensure high standards in medical care. Certification maintains a social contract where society grants physicians respect and autonomy in exchange for competence and public service focus.<br /><br />Kinney highlighted that medical knowledge declines over time, and self-assessment is often inaccurate, underlining the necessity of ongoing certification. The longitudinal assessment model has replaced the prior 10-year exams, proving more effective by regularly updating and testing knowledge. Longitudinal assessments incorporate article-based questions to keep practitioners current.<br /><br />The Vision Commission's recommendations have led to enhanced options for fulfilling certification requirements, aiming to align board requirements with daily medical practice. New mechanisms for fulfilling the quality improvement (QI) requirement include leveraging hospital or fellowship program evaluations and recognition of accredited programs.<br /><br />Subspecialty certifications are shifting towards longitudinal assessments, with upcoming changes anticipated for pediatric and spinal cord injury medicine. Although not all boards including neuromuscular medicine currently utilize this model, ongoing assessments aim to harmonize differing board standards to assure public trust in certifications across medical specialties. Continuing certification, though sometimes resisted, is shown to correlate with better patient outcomes and helps ensure physicians remain competent and committed to professional growth, ultimately benefiting patient care.

Keywords

continuing certification

physical medicine

rehabilitation

longitudinal assessment

medical knowledge

quality improvement

subspecialty certifications

Vision Commission

pediatric medicine

spinal cord injury

patient outcomes