The MOC Fight
From Medical Economics:
“Physicians are pushing legislation on the state level because they don’t trust the ABMS [American Board of Medical Specialties] and its financial conflicts of interest,” says Paul Mathew, MD, a volunteer board member of the NBPAS in Cambridge, Mass. “Many feel the only way to declaw the t iger is legislative action due to insurance companies and academic institutions (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - October 7, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
The MOC Fight
From Medical Economics:
“Physicians are pushing legislation on the state level because they don’t trust the ABMS [American Board of Medical Specialties] and its financial conflicts of interest,” says Paul Mathew, MD, a volunteer board member of the NBPAS in Cambridge, Mass. “Many feel the only way to declaw the tiger is legislative action due to insurance companies and academic institutions (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - October 7, 2018 Category: American Health Authors: DrWes Source Type: blogs
For Whom MOC Tolls
He saw me in the hall between cases and our eyes connected, however briefly. I probably looked a bit tired, hair askew, and rushed after a long ablation case as I scurried to grab a quick bite to eat before my next case started. He was one of our best fellows in cardiology - hard working, innovative, never one to skip a clinical detail or shirk a responsibility, who clearly wanted to chat. He (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - October 5, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
ABMS and ABU Spin on DOJ Letter
Board certification of US physicians continued on its path of deceptive and misleading propaganda following the Department of Justice's (DOJ) letter issued on behalf of a request by the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons (NBPAS) in its effort to thwart the monopoly practices of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 member boards. Despite that letter, the ongoing (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 25, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
Resident Recall - "Cheating" or Part of Free Speech?
Read the opinion piece referenced below carefully. It discusses the widespread use of "resident recall" to study for the American Board of Radiology's board certification examinations by both residents AND faculty/senior physicians:
https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/radiol.12120251
Then read the back story on how the American Board of Medicine threatened internists in 2010 on the basis of (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 16, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
When the Walls Start Crumbling Down
From the Department of Justice via the NBPAS website:
'The DOJ explained that the ABMS Program on MOC may have the effect of “harming competition and increasing the cost of healthcare services to customers.” ABMS may do so “by imposing overly burdensome conditions on physicians who wish to maintain their certification.” The DOJ added, with re spect to ABMS, “[the] vast majority of [its] board (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 14, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
When the Walls Start Crumbling Down
From the Department of Justice via the NBPAS website:
'The DOJ explained that the ABMS Program on MOC may have the effect of “harming competition and increasing the cost of healthcare services to customers.” ABMS may do so “by imposing overly burdensome conditions on physicians who wish to maintain their certification.” The DOJ added, with respect to ABMS, “[the] vast majority of [its] board (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 14, 2018 Category: American Health Authors: DrWes Source Type: blogs
Thank You, Colleagues
I would be remiss if I did not thank my friends and colleagues nationwide who contributed to our GoFundMe page to initiate our pre-litigation investigation of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the ABIM Foundation. While I was upgrading a DDDR pacemaker to a biventricular ICD today, I received a text from a colleague that we had reached our funding goal for this initial phase.
I cannot (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 8, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
Video: 7007 US Physicians Weigh In on US Board Certification
From January through March 2018, a voluntary Internet-based survey of US physicians and surgeons was conducted by Practicing Physicians of America concerning ABMS Board Certification. 7007 completed surveys were available for analysis. Here is a brief video summary of many of the survey's findings as promised:
-Wes
Reference: pdf file of PPA Physician survey questions that formed the basis (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - September 6, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Tags: board certification physicians Practicing Physicians of America surgeons survey Source Type: blogs
Two Surveys: US Physician and Surgeon Perspectives on ABMS Board Certification
At the beginning of this year, Practicing Physicians of America (PPA), a 501c6 physician membership organization (with whom I serve as an unpaid board member), collected results of a voluntary survey via social media channels on ABMS physician and surgeon Board certification. The method of data collection using social media. The data collection is novel compared to previous surveys conducted (Source: Dr. Wes)
Source: Dr. Wes - August 26, 2018 Category: Cardiology Authors: Westby G. Fisher, MD Source Type: blogs
