Calculating time/effort to develop medical specialty-approved board (re)certification modules for part IV practice performance assessment
Recommended Citation
Reynolds K, Sullivan Vedder L, Baumgardner DJ, Bidwell J, Frederick T, Simpson D. Calculating time/effort to develop medical specialty-approved board (re)certification modules for part IV practice performance assessment. J Patient-Centered Res Rev. 2014;1:145-146.
Presentation Notes
Presented at 2014 Aurora Scientific Day, Milwaukee, WI
Abstract
Background: Twenty-four medical specialties now require physicians to complete four parts for board (re)certification. The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is the first specialty board to require that all trainees entering family medicine residencies on or after June 1, 2012, also complete all four parts, including a Performance in Practice Module (Part IV), for their initial board certification. Integrated health care systems are uniquely positioned to align resident and practicing physicians Part IV board certification requirements by developing system-specific modules aligned with Residency Review Committee (RRC) requirements and health care system clinical care metrics. However, there is currently no published literature about time/effort required to develop these aligned modules, thus limiting physician willingness to co-author.
Purpose: To determine the time/effort required for an interdisciplinary team to successfully design and submit Part IV modules that meet board (re)certification requirements, meet residency program accreditation requirements and align with health care system metrics.
Methods: Two interprofessional education teams were charged with creating ABFM Part IV modules on 1) asthma, and 2) nutrition/diet. Each team included 1-3 family physicians, a continuing medical education (CME) specialist, and an experienced educator. Each team conceptualized the core module elements and physician(s) then provided evidence-based resources. The educator and CME specialist drafted the proposal to reflect best evidence education and align with RRC and Part IV requirements. Time/effort was recorded by all work group members throughout the process using a short online survey at regular intervals. Team meeting time was abstracted from Microsoft Outlook calendars.
Results: Two ABFM modules were completed, submitted and approved. Total team time to complete the modules averaged 90 hours: asthma = 82.4 hours; nutrition = 97.7 hours. Total physician hours per module ranged from 12.4 to 24.2 hours. Educator and CME specialist accounted for 75% (nutrition) and 85% (asthma) of the effort. Tasks included project management, content/research for evidence-based resources, and proposal drafting and review.
Conclusion:An interprofessional team can successfully design and submit specialty board Part IV modules in < 100 hours. Defining expertise needed by tasks and distributing work accordingly limit physician time/effort, leading one physician to say “Most of us never imagined we could do this!”
Document Type
Abstract
Affiliations
Department of Family Medicine, Aurora UW Medical Group, Academic Affairs