Patients who use certified specialists are being advised to check their doctors’ credentials, as many are nearing a compulsory retesting or expiration date for the first time.
The recertification issue, the topic of an April 5 article by AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, dates back to the 1990s. Before then, a specialist needed to complete a test once, and was then certified for life. Now, however, he or she “must retest every six to 10 years to prove their skills haven’t gone stale,” according to Marchione.
Some doctors are complaining about the new policy, while others, such as 52-year-old Dr. Stephen Mester of the Brandon Region Hospital in Florida, are voluntarily seeking recertification, even though they don’t have to.
As Dr. Mester told the Associated Press (AP), “It’s just an opportunity to maintain my skills and confirm to myself that I can do what I’ve been trained to do. Most of what I do today didn’t exist, and some of it not even thought of, when I was in medical school.”
One organization that certifies doctors is the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), and they require testing every 10 years for anyone certified on or after 1990.
According to the group’s official website, “Certification demonstrates that physicians have met rigorous standards through intensive study, self-assessment and evaluation,” and all ABIM certified doctors are “strongly urged” to retest, even if not so required, because “the program helps improve the quality of care delivered to patients.”
For those patients who are curious, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) offers an Internet database of medical specialists on their website’s “Is Your Doctor Certified?” page. Registered users can log in and check on the certification status of most doctors (save for American Board of Pediatrics certified doctors, which does not include termination dates on newly issued certificates) online.
—
On the Net:
Comments