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What is MOC?

Maintenance of Certification at BCM
For questions, please contact: BCM MOC Program


Maintenance of Certification

ABMS BOARD CERTIFICATION

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading organization for physician board certification, providing the expertise, insights and support to elevate the discipline of specialty medicine. Its mission is to serve the public and the medical profession by improving the quality of health care through setting professional standards for lifelong certification in partnership with their member boards.

Through board certification, ABMS helps physicians demonstrate their competence and professionalism, support organizations in achieving their quality improvement and safety goals and offer assurance to the public that they are being cared for by specialists committed to their health and well-being.

The ABMS defines continuing certification or maintenance of certification (MOC) as "the ongoing process of board certification that simultaneously supports physicians in keeping their knowledge and skills current while validating their increasing expertise in a specialty."

Use the below tabs to learn more about MOC.


ABMS MOC 4-PART FRAMEWORK

The ABMS maintenance of certification process or framework is comprised of four parts, as described below, with each participating ABMS Member Boards and the NCCPA having its own specific requirements for each part, along with respective options for meeting them and timeframes within which they must be met.

Figure 1.

THE 4 PARTS OF MOC

  • Part 1: Professionalism and Professional Standing
    Hold a valid, unrestricted medical license and behave in a professional manner.
  • Part 2: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment
    Participate in high-quality, unbiased educational and self-assessment activities (appropriate member board-approved) to enhance clinical knowledge and skills vital to a physician's practice.
  • Part 3: Assessment of Knowledge, Judgment, and Skills
    Demonstrate specialty-specific skills and knowledge by passing the appropriate member board-approved written exam.
  • Part 4: Improvements in Medical Practice
    Engage in ongoing assessment and quality/process improvement activities to improve patient outcomes.

    To earn credit/points for MOC Part 4 (or NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME), physicians/PAs are required to demonstrate competence in systematic measurement and improvement in patient care.

    Note: The BCM MOC Program serves to assist eligible physicians and PAs earn MOC Part 4 or NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME credit for their engagement in qualified QI activities/projects.

MOC BENEFITS

Continuing certification provides many benefits, including those described below.

Figure 2.

THE BENEFITS OF MOC

  • Helps physicians stay current with medical advancements
  • Emphasizes assessment to enhance learning
  • Provides direction to identify knowledge gaps and refocus learning
  • Fulfills public expectations for physician professionalism
  • Reduces risk of disciplinary actions
  • Encourages participation in professional and organizational quality improvement activities

ASSESSING QUALITY DIMENSIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES

For ongoing measurement across MOC efforts, the quality dimensions and core competencies described below are assessed and measured across the ABMS 4-Part MOC Framework.

As such, qualifying improvement efforts for MOC Part 4/NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME credit must address all stated QI Activity Requirements, which specifically references required measurements and interventions, as related to the below quality dimensions and competencies.

Figure 3.

QUALITY DIMENSIONS - INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE (IOM)

  • Safety
  • Timeliness
  • Effectiveness
  • Efficiency
  • Patient-Centeredness
  • Equity/Equitable Care
Figure 4.

CORE COMPETENCIES - ABMS/ACGME

  • Patient Care & Procedural Skills
  • Medical Knowledge
  • Practice-Based Learning & Improvement
  • Interpersonal & Communication Skills
  • Professionalism
  • Systems-Based Practice

MOC PART 4 CREDIT INFORMATION

CREDIT TRANSLATION & REQUIREMENTS

As a designated ABMS Portfolio Program Sponsor, Baylor College of Medicine is authorized to review and provide guidance on QI activities and participation for MOC eligibility, based on guidelines/standards and criteria established by the ABMS Portfolio Program. These activities and associated processes are managed and conducted by the BCM MOC Program.

For credit consideration, a qualified QI activity/project must meet all stated QI Activity Requirements, and the evidence of physician/PA participation in a qualified QI activity must be submitted in accordance with stated Meaningful Participation Requirements. Further, ABMS Member Board- or NCCPA-specific credit translations and requirements (Table1) must be met, along with any additional diplomate criteria (Table 2), where applicable, as required by some participating Boards. Finally, all physician/PA submissions for credit consideration must meet relevant BCM MOC Program submission guidelines and deadlines, which vary by QI Effort Type.

CREDIT ISSUANCE & FEES

MOC Part 4/NCCPA Category 1 PI-CME credit is not issued by the BCM MOC Program; rather, credit is approved and granted through the BCM MOC Program (in accordance with the ABMS Portfolio Program) by the relevant participating ABMS Member Board(s) or the NCCPA.

At this time, there is no cost to earn credit through the BCM MOC Program. However, any applicable fees required by the participating ABMS Member Boards or the NCCPA must be current and in order for an eligible physician or PA to receive credit. Physicians/PAs should contact their certifying bodies directly with any questions in this regard.