All Entries Tagged With: "american board of hospital medicine"
ABPS releases details about American Board of Hospital Medicine requirements
In a statement to HCPro, the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) released details about its certification standards. The ABPS last month announced the first board certification for hospitalists ever with the establishment of the American Board of Hospital Medicine (ABHM), which has generated debate amongst the hospitalist community about its validity as a certifying board.
“The ABPS establishes high standards for physicians to demonstrate that they not only have the appropriate medical education and residency training, but also can demonstrate, through ABPS examinations, that they have the requisite knowledge and skills necessary to practice medicine safely and effectively in their specialty,” according to the statement.
Does certification = competency?
When I learned that the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) announced a board certification in hospital medicine, I was surprised, intrigued, and skeptical. After managing hospital medicine practices for more than 11 years, I’ve seen the idea expand from a curious new concept to an accepted practice in hospitals across the country. Yet, today, the title of hospitalist remains a job description, not a certified medical specialty.
From a program management perspective, knowing that the hospitalists I employ have the same certification and credentials creates some expectation of consistency across the board. [more]
Who is a qualified hospitalist?
The recent formation of the American Board of Hospital Medicine (ABHM) creates a new wrinkle in the ongoing quest by hospitalists to define themselves and get recognition for their unique skills. Many hospitalists have been seeking a special board certification unique to their specialty. The new ABHM would seem to fit the bill, except for a few things.
One problem is that ABHM is not part of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which is the umbrella organization for the major boards such as American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and American Board of Surgery (ABS). ABHM belongs to an organization called the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS), which hosts a number of boards that parallel the major boards. [more]
