Federation Of State Medical Boards Takes Interim Steps Toward Maintenance Of Licensure Model Policy

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 06 May 2008 - 13:00 PDT

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On May 3, the Federation of State Medical Boards' (FSMB) House of Delegates took the next steps in developing a model policy that will assist states in requiring physicians to demonstrate their continuing competence as a condition of re-licensure.

At its annual meeting in San Antonio, the House of Delegates endorsed a recommendation for additional research into the impact a model policy, developed and released in draft form earlier this year by a special committee, would have on state medical boards, licensed physicians and other stakeholder organizations (http://www.fsmb.org/m_mol.html). The draft model policy requires physicians to take part in ongoing self-assessment and to demonstrate continuing competence in their areas of practice.

"Most patients assume licensed physicians are keeping current with the latest information and technology in their fields of practice," said FSMB President and CEO James N. Thompson, M.D. "The recommendations we are developing will help state medical boards assure the public their expectations are being met."

The House of Delegates also approved five guiding principles for policy development:

- Maintenance of licensure should support physicians' commitment to lifelong learning and facilitate improvement in physician practice.

- Maintenance of licensure systems should be administratively feasible and should be developed in collaboration with other stakeholders. The authority for establishing MOL requirements should remain within the purview of state medical boards.

- Maintenance of licensure should not be overly burdensome for the profession and should not hinder physician mobility.

- The infrastructure to support physician compliance with MOL requirements must be flexible and offer a choice of options for meeting requirements.

- Maintenance of licensure processes should balance transparency with privacy protections.

Currently, most physicians demonstrate their competence to their licensing boards only once: when they first apply for a license to practice medicine. If maintenance of licensure requirements are implemented by state medical boards, physicians will periodically be expected to demonstrate their competence in order to maintain active medical licenses.

For more information on the FSMB's maintenance of licensure initiative, please visit http://www.fsmb.org/m_mol.html.

The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) is a national not-for-profit organization representing the 70 medical boards of the United States and its territories. The FSMB's mission is to continuously improve the quality, safety and integrity of health care by developing and promoting high standards for physician licensure and practice.

Federation of State Medical Boards