The American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) will partner with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) in 2019 to expand opportunities for ABO-Certified ophthalmologists to earn Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credit for participating in continuing medical education (CME) activities that meet ABO standards.
The new collaboration is designed to increase the number and diversity of accredited CME activities that meet the requirements for ABO MOC and to streamline the process for physicians and for accredited CME providers.
A Simpler, Unified Process
Accredited CME providers, including institutions, professional organizations, and subspecialty societies, are invited to register activities in the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) for ABO MOC. Activities with a start date of on or after January 1, 2018 are eligible. Accredited CME providers do not need to receive direct approval from the ABO.
Beginning in 2019, diplomates of the ABO can earn MOC credit for Lifelong Learning (Part II), Self-Assessment (Part II), Patient Safety (Part II), and Improvement in Medical Practice (Part IV) by participating in CME activities that meet the standards for ABO MOC.
Early next year, physicians can locate activities registered for ABO MOC credit in the online CME Finder, a one-stop resource for physicians seeking to earn MOC credit by participating in accredited CME.
“Awarding MOC credit for approved CME activities will allow ABO-Certified ophthalmologists to pursue individualized programs for learning and improvement based on their areas of practice focus and clinical interests,” said ABO Chief Executive Officer George B. Bartley, MD. “The collaboration between the ABO and the ACCME recognizes the power of physician participation in accredited learning and self-assessment activities to enhance clinical knowledge, improve practice, and advance excellence in patient care.”
The ACCME has also developed collaborations for MOC credit with these other American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member boards: the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the American Board of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS), the American Board of Pathology (ABPath), and the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP).
For questions, please contact moc@abop.org.