Eyeworld

16 | EYEWORLD | APRIL 2019 ASCRS NEWS by Liz Hillman EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer Contact information Berdahl: john.berdahl@ vancethompsonvision.com DeStafeno: jdestafeno@gmail.com National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS), for example, was formed in 2015 and bases its recertification on obtaining sufficient continuing medical education credits, after initial board certification. According to Dr. Berdahl, the committees found NBPAS' approach streamlined, cost-effective, and based on CME. "With ABO's MOC recertification program and NBPAS recertification, we think there are two reasonable ways for ophthalmologists to maintain certification in a manner that best suits their learn- ing style and practice needs," Dr. Berdahl said. ASCRS is not alone in encouraging availabil- ity of options and competition in board recer- tification. In 2018, a Maryland House delegate requested an opinion on specialty board certifi- cation. The response letter from the Maryland Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, stated that when an organization has a monopoly on the certification of physicians it "functions as a de facto requirement for practice by physicians in certain specialized fields." Under these cir- cumstances, the letter said, certifying bodies may "adopt certification requirements more stringent than those necessary to verify that providers have the knowledge and skills required of spe- cialty practice and the ability to deliver quality care." These requirements, if unnecessary, could "raise the cost of specialty practice and constrain the supply of specialized practitioners, thereby harming competition and increasing the cost of healthcare services to consumers." In this letter, the state's DOJ encouraged Maryland legislators to "consider ways to facili- tate competition by legitimate certifying bodies, consistent with patient health and safety." It also encouraged the state legislature to "continue allowing hospitals and insurers independently to decide whether to consider a physician's MOC status when making business decisions, such as granting hospital privileges." Updated requirements In January 2019, ABO officially revised its MOC requirements. Physicians are now asked to answer a series of online Quarterly Questions, a depar- ture from the previous in-person Demonstration G iven diversity in learning styles among individuals, ASCRS supports and encourages educational options and physician choice for those seeking to maintain medical board certification and continue a mindset of lifelong learning. "There are different ways to learn. Some people want to attend lectures, others want to take online courses, and some want to do Quarterly Questions. The one thing we all want is options," said John DeStafeno, MD, ASCRS liaison to the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO). Dozens of surveys, studies, and opinion arti- cles have been published with conflicting infor- mation on the benefits—or lack of benefits—of lifelong learning programs among various medical specialties. "There are conflicting ideas as to whether the maintenance of certification programs imple- mented by societies are any better than CME education. There are no conclusive studies," Dr. DeStafeno said. "This is why ASCRS supports options in lifelong learning programs." ASCRS research and discussion In the past few years several legal challenges have elevated discussion of the pros and cons associ- ated with Maintenance of Certification (MOC), which is put forth by member societies of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). After hearing concerns from ASCRS members, the ASCRS Membership Committee and Exec- utive Committee began looking into the board recertification process. "One of the major frustrations we were hearing was that ongoing MOC was expensive and burdensome, and members did not feel like it created value in a meaningful way," said John Berdahl, MD, chair of the ASCRS Membership Committee. "ASCRS, because we take the con- cerns of our membership seriously, did a deep dive, looking into options in this area." In its research and extensive discussions on the merits of ABO's MOC requirements, ASCRS recognized the strides ABO has made toward MOC reform. It also evaluated other avenues for the maintenance of lifelong learning. The ASCRS supports options, choice, and competition in board recertification continued on page 18 About the doctors John Berdahl, MD Vance Thompson Vision Sioux Falls, South Dakota John DeStafeno, MD Clinical instructor Wills Eye Hospital Philadelphia Financial interests Berdahl: None DeStafeno: None

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