This is not a bad idea as long as done correctly and not used to further “grade” doctors, otherwise we may have even more leaving the profession. As the article states this is work in progress and technology has impacted some doctors more than others. If you look at cardiology for example on where it was 10 years ago 
compared to today, there’s a big difference.
At some point technical skills, and I am assuming this means some type of health IT knowledge maybe on the agenda. 10 years ago we didn’t have all the interventional procedures we have today with heart disease and failure. BD
ATLANTA - The next time you're at the doctor's office, take a peek at those certificates hanging on the wall. Like gallons of milk, some of them are expiring.
For the first time since leaving medical school, many doctors are having to take tests to renew board certification in their fields — 147 specialties from dermatology to obstetrics.
They used to do this once and be certified for life. That changed in the 1990s — doctors certified since then must retest every six to 10 years to prove their skills haven't gone stale.
For some specialists, like the doctors who push tubes into heart arteries to unclog blockages, this is the first year many are going through retesting.
The recertification tests are a work in progress. In the future, some boards plan to include assessment of a doctor's communication skills with patients. Eventually, testing may include rating a doctor's technical skills and directly observing performance, said the cardiology college's chief education officer, Joseph Green.
Doctors face ‘expiration dates’ of specialties - Health care- msnbc.com
The increased complexity of recertification will only serve to drive young college students from choosing medicine as a profession. Continuing to decrease payments while increasing testing and forcing docs to use expensive HITECH EMRs- where will all of this madness end?
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing is that certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants, some of who get paid more than many physicians don't have half the training nor do they have to undergo such rigorous testing.
Hi Al..Thanks for stopping by. Yes I agree it is getting more difficult to function today and what it next. Not too long ago I did a post on those with less education in healthcare earning more than doctors too, good point. Where is the incentive going to be in time?
ReplyDeleteWe are in the process now of recertification, and it's incredibly confusing, to say the least. It's bad enough for a solo practice doc to have to close up the office just to sit for the boards. But, they are also required to sit for a 40 hour course REVIEW...which we didn't find out in time to sit for the board. Why would a REVIEW be required? If they want to sit for the boards without reviewing, it should be their choice. It's insane.
ReplyDeleteGeneral surgeons have been recertifying every 10 years starting with 1976 graduates of residencies. This is not really news. The process in surgery is that one takes the written exam at a computer testing center. The theme is shifting to "maintenance of certification" with tested CMEs and case logs which must be submitted every 3 years. The recert exam still must be taken every 10 years as well. The problem with this is that the ability to pass a written exam does not necessarily translate into good bedside or technical skills.
ReplyDelete