NCQA, ABFM Align Physician Measurement Standards
Physicians Can Use NCQA Recognition For Credit Towards Maintenance of Certification; more than 70,000 Diplomates Stand to Benefit
LEXINGTON, KY. and WASHINGTON - The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) today announced an agreement under which ABFM Diplomates recognized for quality care through NCQA’s popular Physician Recognition Programs will also receive credit towards their Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP).
Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians is the means by which the ABFM continually assesses its more than 70,000 Diplomates to ensure that they meet the highest standards of accountability and clinical excellence. Under the agreement, ABFM Diplomates who successfully complete NCQA’s Diabetes Physician Recognition Program or its Heart/Stroke Recognition Program are eligible to receive credit for the completion of a MC-FP Part IV Performance in Practice Module. Diplomates are required to complete one such module during each stage of the Maintenance of Certification process.
NCQA’s Physician Recognition programs identify clinicians who demonstrate consistent delivery of high-quality care for key conditions. Physicians qualify for NCQA recognition by meeting rigorous standards and reviewing the medical records of a sample of patients to ensure that they receive care consistent with evidence-based guidelines. Program standards are set by NCQA and its partners, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. More than 5,000 physicians have earned NCQA Recognition to date.
“NCQA Recognition, like Certification from the ABFM, is a mark of excellent care,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “We’re pleased to work with the ABFM to bring our program standards in alignment – it’s a great way to add value to both programs.”
“NCQA’s Recognition programs and the ABFM’s Performance in Practice modules both employ widely accepted guidelines for care based firmly in medical evidence,” said ABFM President and Chief Executive Officer James C. Puffer, MD. “Allowing our Diplomates to pursue Recognition and Maintenance of Certification simultaneously reduces measurement burden so our physicians can spend more time doing what they do best—delivering the best possible care to their patients.”
For details regarding MC-FP and PPM requirements, Diplomates may visit the ABFM Website, www.theabfm.org, or call the ABFM Support Center at (877) 223-7437. For more information about NCQA’s Physician Recognition programs, log on to NCQA’s Web site at www.ncqa.org.
About the ABFM
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) is the second-largest medical specialty board in the United States. Founded in 1969, it is a voluntary, not-for-profit, private organization whose objective is to encourage excellence in medical care. The ABFM believes that its certified family physicians have successfully demonstrated their ability and have proven their commitment to the public, the specialty of Family Medicine and the profession. Through its certification and recertification processes, the ABFM seeks to provide patients the assurance that its certified family physicians have the necessary knowledge, training and experience to provide quality care to the individual and the family and that this commitment to excellence is maintained throughout the physician’s years of practice.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and recognizes physicians in key clinical areas. NCQA’s Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.
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