On February 6, 2015, Dr. Paul Mathew, a member of the Harvard Medical School Faculty, submitted a letter in response to the sweeping changes the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) made to its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program requesting the ABPN implement similar MOC reform to the ABIM’s recent MOC changes.  This letter was accompanied by a petition signed by neurologists who support that MOC should include maintaining an active medical license and satisfying CME requirements and feel strongly that Self Assessment (SA) modules and Improvement in Medical Practice (PIP) modules should be eliminated from the MOC process.  These modules are time consuming, and there is little data to support that they actually improve the practice of neurology.

On February 10, 2015, the ABPN issued a response letter that failed to fully incorporate the changes that the ABIM has realized are necessary and that the vast majority of ABPN diplomates would like to see enacted.

On February 24, 2015, American Academy of Neurology (AAN) President Timothy A. Pedley, MD, FAAN issued a statement on behalf of the AAN that Part IV of MOC is an unnecessarily onerous requirement, and this ABPN requirement has imposed a hardship on neurologists.  The statement also reinforces the idea that the process is unnecessarily cumbersome, especially in the absence of convincing research showing that it is effective in improving physicians’ practice and the quality of the care they provide.

On March 2, 2015, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) issued a response letter that failed to fully incorporate the changes that the ABIM has realized are necessary and that the vast majority of ABPN diplomates would like to see enacted.

NYSNS supports the call by the American Academy of Neurology for the repeal of Part IV of the Maintenance of Certification process for Neurologists. We agree that Part IV of MOC is an unnecessarily onerous requirement that has no convincing research showing that it is effective in improving physicians’ practice and the quality of the care they provide.

It is important to note that the members of the New York State Neurological Society support a commitment to lifelong learning and quality improvement. However, there needs to be a balance between how this is accomplished in today’s ever-changing clinical environment. The true measure of greatness of an educational governing body, such as the ABPN, in performing its function in providing for maintenance of certification, should include listening to its certified members who honestly challenge what is believed to be beyond what truly accomplishes the deliverance of high-quality patient centered care.

For our full letter, click here.

For more information on the call for MOC reform click here.