11 Reasons Physicians Hate Maintenance of Certification
Maintenance of certification requirements have many physicians up in arms. Here are the top reasons for the pushback.
Despite the relative newness of maintenance of certification (MOC), it has developed a rather controversial reputation among physicians. Many say the requirements can be excessively burdensome and physicians often question the true intent of the various certification boards.Here are the top 11 reasons physicians hate MOC. Feel free to add you think we've forgotten below.Click here to download a PDF of this slideshow.*Paul Teirstein runs the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons, which offers an alternative to MOC.Steph Weber is a freelance writer hailing from the Midwest. She writes about healthcare, finance, and small business, but finds her passion for the medical field growing in sync with the ever-changing healthcare laws.
One of the top complaints revolves around the expenses associated with meeting MOC requirements.
Besides the cost to maintain certifications, physicians are concerned about where those fees are actually going. *
Physicians also dislike the time commitments required to successfully complete MOC. It adds another burden to their already tight schedules and takes time away from patient care. *
Physicians have serious concerns about the quality of the program and believe other educational methods, such as CME, may be more effective.
When MOC was first introduced, the intent was to improve quality and patient care. Yet many physicians feel the program has strayed from this goal.
Depending on the specialty, recertification requirements may vary considerably and prove difficult to interpret. Travel requirements add to the inconvenience as well.
Physicians question the efficacy of such a cumbersome process, especially when empirical evidence is lacking.
Many physicians feel MOC requires them simply going through the motions and lacks a way to measure true competence.
The grandfathered and exempted statuses granted to some physicians are seen as unfair.
Another major concern is that MOC requirements are intensely scrutinizing one group of practitioners to the exclusion of others.
The burden created by MOC requirements are pushing some physicians to leave the profession altogether.