Diplomate Verification Update 2007

Since 1970, when the charter class of physicians attained certification by the American Board of Family Practice, the Board has acknowledged the accomplishment of all physicians who achieve certification and recertification as a specialist in Family Medicine, the nation's 20th primary medical specialty. For the first 26 years, the Board published an annual Directory of Diplomates as a way of honoring and recognizing certified family physicians. The printed directory was made available to all Diplomates, residency training programs, libraries, and other individuals or entities. Formal recognition beyond certification in Family Medicine was added in the 1990s for physicians who achieve certification in Geriatric Medicine and Sports Medicine and received a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in those specialties. When requested, letters are sent to any person, organization, or entity requiring the Board's assurance that a physician is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

The ABFM now operates, distributes information, and facilitates interaction with candidates and Diplomates via its Web site at www.theabfm.org. The Web site contains a “directory” devoted to the continued recognition of family physicians who have attained certification, recertification, and a CAQ at any time in their professional career. Obviously, many Diplomates have retired from the practice of medicine, yet the Board continues to recognize the efforts of its past Diplomates in the same way it acknowledges current Diplomates. The online directory has become a refined extension of its predecessor, the Directory of Diplomates. The process of locating certified family physicians online is simple; the user enters a city and state into the online directory and a listing of current board-certified physicians in that geographical area is generated. Alternately, the user enters the first and last name of a physician and all family physicians with identical names are shown with city and state of residence and current and past certification status.

In addition, the online verification process facilitates the ease by which hospitals, third-party payers, and credentializing agencies can verify the certification status of family physicians. By accessing the Verification page of our Web site and entering the first name, last name, date of birth, and last 4 digits of the physician's social security number, the user can search the ABFM's database to verify a physician's certification status. The data in the verification system is under the direct and complete control of the ABFM staff and is protected from and cannot be altered by unauthorized individuals.

Written verification of a Diplomate's status continues to be an option for Diplomates and third parties. Diplomates can obtain a verification letter at no charge by entering the Physician Portfolio with their ABFM identification and password and clicking on the “Request Verification Letter” button. Others seeking written verification of a Diplomate's status can have a letter generated by ABFM staff for a $25 fee; or they can access the ABFM's online verification system at no charge. The ABFM grants permission to copy the information provided by the online verification system for the purpose of maintaining physician credentials or for activities related to the evaluation of physician qualifications. The same database is used for written and online inquiries.

Just as recertification has evolved into Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP), the online verification process is evolving in its role as the primary source for finding a family physician's certification status. A new online verification system will be launched later this year in 2 phases. The first phase, expected to be available in July 2007, will display certification information in a grid format. The second phase, expected to be available by the end of 2007, will expand verification to include a physician's standing within MC-FP, a program designed to enhance the clinical excellence of family physicians through continuous measurement of physician competencies. The 4 components of MC-FP—Professionalism, Self-Assessment and Lifelong Learning, Cognitive Expertise, and Performance in Practice—must be successfully completed for renewal of certification.

The revised online verification system will display information in 5 categories (see Table 1).