PDT | We Asked, You Spoke, We Listened!
In January, the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry engaged with a third-party market research firm to help pave the way for improvements to the Renewal of Certification Process.
To update and enhance ABPD continuing certification, the ABPD Board of Directors created a task force to review its Renewal of Certification Process. As a reference, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recently adopted updated evidence-based continuing certification standards for all medical specialties. [1] These standards promote the continuing professional development of all physicians. The ABPD task force reviewed the new ABMS continuing certification standards, engaged two certification professionals, and conducted market research with ABPD’s Diplomates to determine changes to its own program.
The task force developed a construct statement, which identifies the various components the program intends to measure. The new ABPD continuing certification construct statement is the following:
Given advancing research, practice, and standards, the ABPD continuing certification process supports lifelong learning and assesses the Diplomate’s habitual and thoughtful use of specialized knowledge and skills, clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism for safe and effective practice to benefit the individuals, families, and communities served.
The following goals of the program were also established:
- Promote and enhance the value of continuing certification for Diplomates.
- Improve the specialized knowledge and skills, clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism for safe and effective practice to benefit the individuals, families, and communities served.
- Promote lifelong learning, and the application and retention of knowledge in the clinical setting.
- Identify gaps in knowledge to support Diplomates in achieving continued competence and proficiency in pediatric dentistry to benefit the individuals, families, and communities served.
ABPD engaged a market research firm to determine what Diplomates liked about the current process and what needed improvement. In this market research initiative, eight focus groups were created. Each group was divided by the number of years being board certified, and then segregated further into groups of Diplomates with and without hospital privileges.
The results of the market research were the following:
- The overall perception of the ABPD was favorable.
- Being board certified signifies prestige, commitment, and quality.
- ABPD was regarded as the “gold standard” in pediatric dentistry.
- A key benefit to being board certified was personal achievement.
- The ABPD could do more to promote the value of being board certified to the public.
- Regarding the 10-year ROC examination, most saw value in the exam, while others felt it was just “checking a box” and did not promote learning.
- Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) modules were regarded favorably.
- Most enjoyed taking the CQIs, but stated some of them were not current.
- Participants would consider answering more questions yearly in lieu of a 10-year exam.
- Diplomates were against more frequent assessments during the year as they felt overworked.
- Annual requirements that could be managed on diplomates own time schedule seemed most acceptable instead of quarterly or semi-annual deadlines.
The Board of Directors recently approved changes to continuing certification based upon Diplomate responses, and the specifics of the new program are in the process of being developed. Stay tuned for exciting changes coming soon!