MOC Reform

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) considers the current Program for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) to be an unnecessary burden for physicians. However, the AASM recognizes that ongoing professional development is important to ensure that physicians maintain the highest standards of patient care.

The AASM advocates for the reinforcement of lifelong learning and the elimination of ongoing examinations, which will reduce the burden of MOC requirements. The AASM’s goal is aligned with recent resolutions adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates.

Background

The Program for MOC standards are established by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). The MOC program was adopted by the ABMS member boards in 2000, and the first MOC standards were approved in 2009. In 2012 and 2013, the ABMS and its member boards reviewed the Program for MOC and developed the current standards.

Each ABMS member board, including the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN), develops and maintains an MOC program that meets ABMS requirements. The MOC exam in sleep medicine is created by a committee of the ABIM. As a participant on the ABIM’s Liaison Committee on Certification and Recertification (LCCR), the AASM provides regular feedback to the ABIM about its MOC program.

Letters from the AASM to the ABMS and its member boards have expressed the frustrations of many AASM leaders and members, who consider the current MOC program to be overly burdensome.

At least seven states have passed laws that prevent MOC from being required for licensure to practice medicine, and similar bills have been introduced in several other states.

Please contact the AASM at policy@aasm.org or (630) 737-9700 to discuss MOC advocacy.