For the past 75 years, ABMS and its Member Boards have been a leading and trusted resource for consumers and healthcare professionals seeking information on physician qualifications. Now, as the need for reliable information is greater than ever, ABMS has launched in the spring of 2008 a new initiative to meet the goals of both physicians and the public for accountability and transparency in healthcare.
The healthcare system in the United States has reached a point where improvement in quality and efficiency has become vital. It's a goal that everyone - from the government to private enterprises to healthcare plans - is striving to achieve and many have moved to establish physician and healthcare regulation or evaluation systems.
"Consumers are taking a more active role in their own healthcare decisions and are demanding greater transparency. ABMS and its Member Boards are in a prime position to be a leading voice for physicians in the quality movement, but we cannot do so without first assuring the public of our renewed commitment to ensuring quality of care. To meet consumers' expectations, ABMS and its Member Boards will work together to attain the next phase of healthcare leadership with the public's interest as our foremost concern."
Kevin B. Weiss, MD, ABMS president and CEO |
Since 1933 ABMS and its Member Boards have led the way in providing public assurance of quality healthcare, first by establishing board certification, then recertification and, in recent years, ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®). Today more than 85 percent of all physicians in the US are certified by one or more of ABMS' Member Boards. While this is a tremendous foundation, there is much work that needs to be done to answer today's consumer demands for greater transparency.
As a leading voice in the quality movement, ABMS' first priority is making the public aware of its renewed commitment to ensuring quality with the public's interest as the foremost concern. This next phase of healthcare leadership is being thought of as the Enhanced Public Trust Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to expand ABMS resource offerings and make them more visible in order to enrich the Board Enterprise's role as a trusted private sector agent when it comes to physician accountability.
Through this initiative, ABMS will seek out new ways to meet the goals of both physicians and the public. The initiative will be launched by a task force made up of public and medical professional members. This team will direct specific programs that aim to increase public trust, streamline and enhance value in ABMS MOC and increase capacity through international program development and the expansion of research activities and performance evaluation.
Programs and activities to enhance public trust will focus on
- Ethics and professionalism
- External relationships
- Health and public policy and public policy and governmental affairs
Programs to streamline and enhance value in MOC will focus on
- Learning collaboratives
- Monitoring the design and implementation of ABMS MOC
- Shared products and services such as: CAHPS, maintenance of licensure and physician profile
Programs to increase capacity in the Board Enterprise will focus on
- Expansion of research activities and performance evaluation
- International program development
ABMS and its Member Boards' mission has always been directed to the public interest. This new initiative is about enhancing the foundation that was started 75 years ago. Achieving the best possible assurance of high-quality healthcare is a fundamental goal shared by everyone. Working together, the public and physicians can undoubtedly do a better job at assuring and protecting consumer interests.
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