ACP recognizes the medical profession's responsibility to ensure quality medical care and supports the concept of lifelong learning and the need for ongoing physician accountability. ACP's Professional Accountability Principles outline the important attributes and standards for any organization that is involved in assuring physician accountability.
Because a wide variety of attributes contribute to a physician鈥檚 competence and quality of care, ACP believes that participation in programs for physician accountability such as maintenance of certification (MOC) should not be an absolute prerequisite for licensure and credentialing including acceptance into health plan networks, reimbursement, hospital medical staff privileges, medical liability coverage, and/or state licensing bodies, and other purposes.
ACP's Position Statement on Regulation of Credentialing and Licensing outlines a variety of issues, including the potential for adverse unintended consequences, for consideration regarding legislation to regulate MOC. The primary determinants should be demonstrated performance for providing high quality, compassionate care and a commitment to continuous professional development.
ACP Advocates to Improve MOC Process
ACP is working aggressively to address the concerns about ABIM's MOC program expressed by our members and the internal medicine community, and to achieve reform through active discussion with ABIM at many levels. Based on the accountability principles and the feedback from ACP members, advocacy efforts with ABIM have focused on the need for MOC to be more relevant, more valuable, less burdensome, and less time-consuming. ACP will continue to represent the concerns of members to ABIM to assure that the MOC process evolves to increase relevance and value to our members.
Statements from ACP About MOC
- ACP Works with ABIM to Improve Transparency of Exam Refund Policy for Medical Cancellation (August 27, 2024)
- ACP Letter to ABIM Regarding Transparency and Accessibility of Exam Cancellations Policy (July 15, 2024)
- ACP Update about ABIM鈥檚 MOC Program (October 6, 2023)
- ACP Response to ABMS Draft Standards for Continuing Certification (June 22, 2021)
- ACP Applauds ABIM鈥檚 Extension of MOC Requirements (March 9, 2021)
- ACP Supportive of ABIM Plans to Develop Longitudinal Assessment Option for Continuing Certification (August 28, 2019)
- ACP Comments on the Future of MOC (January 19, 2019)
- ACP Comments on ABMS Vision Commission Draft Report (January 14, 2019)
- ACP Invites Comments on ABMS Vision for the Future Commission Draft Report on MOC (December 14, 2018)
Additional Letters
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (September 8, 2017)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (December 1, 2016)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (August 12, 2016)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (March 18, 2016)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (February 7, 2016)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (October 2, 2015)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (July 6, 2015)
- ACP Update about ABIM's MOC Program (February 20, 2015)
- ACP Update: Statement on ABIM changes to MOC program (February 4, 2015)
- ACP Update: Statement on MOC and licensure; announcing the ACP MOC Navigator (October 24, 2014)
- ACP Update: ABIM exploring how to clarify confusing MOC reporting designation: "meeting requirements" (August 21, 2014)
- ACP Update: Update regarding additional changes by ABIM to MOC program (August 7, 2014)
- ACP Update: Summary of initial changes to MOC program; medical societies convene for summit on MOC (July 18, 2014)
- ACP Update: ACP working toward MOC reform; summary of current actions taken by ACP (June 5, 2014)