Maintenance of Licensure: A Quick Overview

1. Maintenance of Licensure: A Quick Overview

2. Current FSMB Policy (2004) • State medical boards have a responsibility to the public to ensure the ongoing competence of physicians seeking relicensure.

3. Special Committee on Maintenance of Licensure • Recommendations for use in implementing initiatives to assure continuing competence of physicians seeking relicensure • Draft report circulated for comment (11/07) • Final report issued to board of directors (2/08)

4. MOL Recommendations • Demonstrate compliance in three areas • Self-assessment/self-reflection (Continuous Professional Development) • Competence across six core areas • Performance in practice

5. Additional MOL Recommendations • Require documentation • MOC could serve as proxy • QI activities appropriate for some MOL requirements • Hold all licensees accountable • Seek partners to develop research agenda

6. Feedback on Draft Report • State medical boards • Financial and operational impact • Lack of infrastructure to allow compliance • “Unfunded mandates” • Practicing physicians • More burden, cost • Affiliate organizations • Implementation questions

7. FSMB BOD Recommendations • Adopt guiding principles • Conduct studies and pilot projects to understand impact of MOL

8. MOL Guiding Principles Adopted in 2008 • Improve physician practice • Administratively feasible • Minimize burden, duplication • Choice of options • Balance transparency with privacy protections

9. Next Steps • Conduct research to understand impact • State medical boards • Other stakeholders • Conduct pilot projects • Develop evidence base • Encourage medical boards to adopt regulations requiring CME to be practice relevant