Challenges in recertification.
We must now face perhaps one of the great changes that is emerging in our practice of medicine of this century: recertification, based not on testing of cognitive skills, but focused on a quality assurance program for clinical performance and satisfactory outcome criteria. Certification is not the same as recertification; each serves a necessary function. For recertification we need to be able to assess physician performance in practice. Standard testing practices in graduate medical education work well in the setting for which they were developed. However, we now need to devise better ways to measure the continuing accrual of knowledge and the consequences of the application of that knowledge in the practice of modern medicine. How can such a determination be made? Who will administer the programs? How can we as physicians assure the public that we are capable of maintaining high standards of performance throughout a physician's practice career?
King
R B
RB
SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse 13210.
D002568:Certification; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000592:standards*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D013044:Specialty Boards; D014481:United States