 Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, 2003 |
| ASSEMBLY EDITION • NEW ORLEANS |
Interest has been intense in the American Board of Family Practice's computer-based testing for certification and recertification. How intense? Well, when ABFP offered a limited number of openings for the exam in July, 6,700 potential candidates wanted to take the test -- about three times the number of openings available, said Michael Hagen, M.D., ABFP director of the computer-based assessment project.
Many FPs still want a sneak preview of the exam, if attendance at the almost-full "ABFP Certification and Recertification Demonstration" yesterday is any indicator. Those who missed the computer lecture yesterday can catch it from 8 to 9:15 a.m. Saturday in Room 217 of the Morial Convention Center. And all Assembly-goers can visit the ABFP Practice Center in the convention center's Exposition Hall today through Saturday and take the computerized exam for a test drive.
Coming in 2004
ABFP has developed a stepped approach to implementing computer-based testing and will begin phasing in the new program Jan. 1 for those certifying or recertifying. The program will become fully operational by 2005. First, the current paper-based multiple-choice exam will be moved to computers.
The computerized exam will offer several advantages to test-takers, foremost of which is that delivering the exam electronically will increase flexibility of timing and location. The test will provide easy navigation among items, the ability to flag items for later review, timing reminders throughout the exam and the ability to request help from a proctor, said Hagen.
He was quick to note that users have scored higher on the computerized exam than on paper-based exams and that even those not accustomed to using computers have adapted easily.
ABFP intends initially to offer the computer-based test at 200 testing centers and eventually to offer the test at residency programs and medical schools.
Clinical simulations
The second novelty of the new exam will be simulated patient encounters. Demonstration of the simulations was the source of much curiosity in yesterday's lecture.
As FPs know, patients don't present as selections among four or five options, but rather come to the physician with undifferentiated complaints that the clinician must explore through history, physical examination and further testing.
Hagen displayed a screen divided in three, showing a patient's name, age and vital signs on the left; the patient image and an area to type queries in the middle; and a menu for displaying history, physical exam findings, studies, assessment and more on the right.
Hagen demonstrated the simulation of a typical visit that included an eye exam (in which a set of eyes, blinking periodically, gazed from the screen); the process of listening to bowel sounds (drawing so much amusement that Hagen exclaimed, "This is a hungry person!"); and a neurological exam (complete with a twitching foot).
The ABFP embarked nearly a decade ago on the development program to create computer-based simulations for certification and recertification, said Hagen. Consequently, security concerns that attend traditional fixed-content examinations will become less of an issue, he said, as each simulation will be unique. This could ultimately allow ABFP to administer exams remotely via the Internet.
The computerized testing is expected to work hand-in-hand with the new maintenance-of-certification process the ABFP is introducing. Hagen said, "The ABFP Board of Directors is into implementing a maintenance-of-certification process using technology created for this." To learn more, go to http://www.abfp.org and click on "Maintenance of Certification for FPs."
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Copyright © 2003
by American Academy of Family Physicians.