Board certification is an important factor when choosing a physician, according to a 2025 consumer survey conducted on behalf of ABMS. Consumers have expressed the importance of board certification in similar surveys dating back nearly two decades.
Ninety-three percent of respondents said board certification was important to them when choosing a doctor for the 2025 survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.* It was one of the top factors among respondents along with insurance coverage, bedside manner or communication skills, and office location.
Other findings suggest that most respondents believe that board certified physicians offer superior care and expertise. While 98 percent of respondents expect doctors to stay up to date with the latest medical advances in their specialty, 95 percent also expect their physician to participate in ongoing education and testing to ensure that they stay current. In addition, 93 percent of respondents believe doctors should be required to demonstrate that they are staying current in their specialty. Finally, 90 percent of respondents maintain that ongoing education and testing of physicians should include periodic evaluations of their knowledge in the specialty beyond earning continuing medical education credits.
These findings are supported by previous consumer surveys conducted on behalf of ABMS.
In a 2018 survey,† 82 percent of respondents said that board certification is important to their choice of doctor. Same as this year, 98 percent said they expect their physicians to stay up to date with the latest advances in their field. Similarly, 95 percent of respondents thought that doctors should be required to demonstrate that they are up to date and 95 percent agreed that physicians should participate in assessment and education programs to ensure that they are up to date.
In a 2010 survey,‡ 91 percent of respondents said that board certification was a top factor in choosing a doctor. Bedside manner or communication skills were among other important factors cited. Ninety-five percent of consumers believe that it is important for their physicians to maintain their certification. Patients not only expect their doctors to engage in continuous learning and assessment, but many assume that an external entity monitors their participation. In addition, 84 percent of respondents said they would take some form of action, including looking for a new doctor or ceasing to refer family and friends to that physician, if they found that the doctor does not maintain certification.
In a 2008 survey,§ 91 percent of respondents ranked board certification as an important factor when choosing a doctor. Communication skills and bedside manner also topped the list of important factors.
For the past two decades, consumers have ranked board certification high on their list of importance when choosing a doctor to care for themselves or their family members. They recognize that it represents a commitment to higher standards and the delivery of better patient care.
| Moreover, patients and family members routinely check their physicians’ certification status at CertificationMatters.org; more than one million searches were conducted in 2024 alone. |
* 1,516 members of the general public were surveyed for this study, which is designed to be representative of the United States household population. The survey was conducted from Jan. 16-Febr. 3, 2025. Respondents represented a mix of race and ethnicity, age, gender, income, education level, and region. The results have a margin of error of +3.54 percentage points.
† 1,792 members of the general public were surveyed for this study, which is designed to be representative of the United States population. The survey was conducted from May 9 to June 11, 2018. Respondents represented a mix of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education and income levels. The results have a margin of error of 3.5% at a 95% confidence level.
‡ 1,006 members of the general public were surveyed for this study, which is designed to be representative of the United States population. The survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation in Princeton, New Jersey, from Dec. 3 to 6, 2010. Results were weighted by age, sex, race, and region to ensure a representative sample. The margin of error for results is plus or minus four percentage points.
§ 1,009 members of the general public were surveyed for this study, which is designed to be representative of the United States population. The survey was conducted from May 16 to 19, 2008. Results were weighted by age, sex, race, and region to ensure a representative sample. The margin of error for results is plus or minus four percentage points.
© 2025 American Board of Medical Specialties
Read the latest issue of ABMS Insights and sign up to receive future updates about board certification.
