Incorporation of Quality and Safety Principles in Maintenance of Certification: A Qualitative Analysis of American Board of Medical Specialties Member Boards

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is one way physicians demonstrate to the public that they are competent to deliver safe, high-quality medical care. The authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of information from 24 Member Boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. A constant comparative approach was used to categorize themes of quality and safety and related concepts. All Boards (24/24) had public websites with formal documents and 23/24 had at least 1 representative respond to a survey. Sixty-three percent (15/24) of Boards had a patient safety requirement, and 96% (23/24) of Boards had a quality improvement requirement. Nearly all Boards incorporate quality improvement and most incorporate patient safety, but their assessment methods and level of inclusion on the topic vary. Sharing methods of incorporating quality and safety among certifying Boards will allow Member Boards to cater to the evolution of the MOC landscape and benefit from other Boards’ experiences