Supporting Continuing Pediatric Education and Assessment

Abstract

Numerous organizations are involved in the continuing education and assessment of pediatricians, yet the information flow among them is often inefficient or nonexistent. Professional societies, academic medical centers and other Continuing Medical Education (CME) providers support continuing professional development (CPD). Certification boards, such as the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), are commissions that set standards for assessment, certification and periodic recertification of physicians' competence to deliver high quality care within a medical or surgical specialty.¹ Licensing boards are organizations charged with protecting the public that determine jurisdictional and legal requirements physicians must meet to practice medicine.²

Each of these organizations is dependent on data managed by the others. Licensing boards require data on approved CME activities, specialty certifications and other state licenses in order to grant medical licenses. Certification boards also require CME data, as well as practice improvement and other professional activities and licensure/certification data from other boards. Umbrella organizations, such as the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) collect disciplinary action and certification data respectively from their member boards for sharing with other organizations,^{3, 4} such as hospital credentialing committees. The combined effort for this interorganizational data exchange is redundant and will become progressively worse as accountability and reporting requirements increase.