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The American Board of Preventive Medicine Announces the Approval of its Longitudinal Assessment Pilot for Clinical Informatics

Chicago, IL, November 25, 2019 – The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) announced today that the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) has formally approved the ABPM’s proposed Longitudinal Assessment Pilot (LAP). The LAP pilot will include all current Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in the Subspecialty of Clinical Informatics.  The LAP pilot is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2021 and will run for a consecutive 24-month period.

The LAP pilot is designed as an alternative to the ABPM’s current high-stakes MOC examination which every Diplomate is required to take and pass every ten-years in order to maintain Certification.  In lieu of taking the required MOC examination, all Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in Clinical Informatics will be enrolled in the LAP pilot and, beginning in 2021, LAP participants will answer a total of twenty-four Subspecialty-specific questions, twelve in the first six-months and an additional twelve in the second-six months of each year of the pilot.  The LAP will be offered electronically where Diplomates will be able to answer each question from their own computer at a time and place that is convenient for the Diplomate.  Questions will be open-book and open-resource providing Diplomates with the flexibility to participate in the LAP in a way that is consistent with how Diplomates practice medicine in today’s environment. After each question is answered, the LAP platform will provide the correct answer, references, and a critique so as to provide the Diplomate with a complete learning experience. LAP participants will be able to access their individual performance and their performance as compared to their peers on an on-going basis through ABPM’s physician portal.

“ABPM is committed to moving from its current high-takes MOC examination to a more innovative and simplified assessment methodology. Consistent with the recommendations of the ABMS’ Vision Commission, we’re excited to begin that process with the announcement of the LAP pilot for our Clinical Informaticists,” said Hernando “Joe” Ortega, MD, MPH, ABPM Board Chair. “ABPM Diplomates have made it clear that they desire greater flexibility and more meaningful activities that are designed to confirm their knowledge, judgment and skill, especially when it comes to the high-stakes examination. As a first step toward a complete transition from its current MOC program to a more flexible Continuing Certification Program (CCP), the ABPM actively decided to invest the time and resources required to create a meaningful and relevant LAP experience for our Diplomates.”

Dr. Ortega went on to say “Our current MOC program will have to remain in place for the next 2-3 years but during that period we will continue to evaluate the LAP in order to confirm that, when launched across all of our Specialties and Subspecialties it will not only evaluate knowledge and practice, but provide objective feedback to our Diplomates that they may not receive otherwise. Instead of a periodic high-stakes examination where your Certification status is decided, the LAP will highlight knowledge gaps and will provide resources for Diplomates to seek out educational opportunities that will address those identified areas to maintain a well-rounded specialist.  In this way, the ABPM’s LAP should be assisting Diplomates in maintaining the knowledge, skills and abilities of their chosen specialty.”

Diplomates Certified by the ABPM in Clinical Informatics and participating in the LAP pilot will not be required to take the high-stakes MOC examination but instead, will be deemed to have met this requirement via participation in the LAP pilot.

Upon the conclusion of the LAP pilot, and beginning in the first quarter of 2023, it is anticipated that the ABPM will complete its transition and launch its CCP across all of its Specialties and Subspecialties and which transition will include, but not be limited to implementation of a LAP.

The ABPM is a Member Board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Founded in 1948, ABPM works with the ABMS in the development of standards for the ongoing assessment and certification of over 12,000 physicians certified by the ABPM in the Specialties of Aerospace Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Public Health and General Preventive Medicine, and in the Subspecialties of Addiction Medicine, Clinical Informatics, Medical Toxicology and Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine.