ABFM Begins MC-FP Changes Early

The American Board of Family Medicine has fast-tracked changes to add flexibility to the Maintenance of Certification Program for Family Physicians, or MC-FP. Although the board said last year that changes in the program would begin in 2007, those changes instead started on May 18, according to an ABFM announcement. Now family physicians who delayed entering MC-FP or who fell behind in meeting the former annual requirements "can get all caught up," says James Puffer, M.D., president and CEO of ABFM.

Family physicians may opt for a 10-year cycle now instead of a seven-year cycle and, toward the end of either cycle, will take an exam to test their cognitive expertise. The previous MC-FP plan required completion of one module, such as a self-assessment module, each year. The updated plan has dropped the annual deadlines and shifted to three-year stages, allowing diplomates to complete three required modules anytime during a three-year stage. And late fees -- penalties for not completing components on time -- have vanished. However, FPs who fail to complete three required modules within a three-year stage automatically revert to the traditional seven-year cycle.

Family physicians who certified or recertified in 2003 and wanted to maintain certification should have entered the MC-FP in its initial year, 2004. Now, in this last year of the 2004-06 stage, says Puffer, "those people who, for whatever reason, decided not to get in and do MC-FP in 2004 or 2005 can enter the program without penalty."

The ABFM Board of Directors decided to fast-track the changes during its January meeting, says Puffer. Concerning late fees, he notes that they were meant to provide an incentive to meet one requirement per year. "We began to realize (imposing late fees) really wasn't a very good incentive at all, and in many instances was having just the opposite effect," says Puffer. "We think the 10-year pathway is a much better model to use to motivate diplomates to satisfy the MC-FP requirements in a timely fashion."

The required components remain the same as before, including self-assessment modules, or SAMs; performance-in-practice modules, or PPMs; and other modules under development. Diplomates may substitute a module from AAFP's METRIC (Measuring, Evaluating and Translating Research Into Care) program for the PPM requirement in any or all stages in the 10-year pathway or for the single PPM requirement in the seven-year cycle.

Some family physicians have completed more than the one required module in a given year and received CME credit for the extra work, but previously it did not count toward the following year's MC-FP requirement. Now, any extra modules completed in one year do count toward meeting requirements in the three-year stage. In addition, "we're giving folks who did extra modules in 2004 and 2005, or this year, credit toward their first stage," says Puffer.

The May 18 announcement advises, "Since the reworking of the Web site to reflect the changes necessary for MC-FP 2007 will not be complete until the end of 2006, Track Your Progress (each diplomate's personal MC-FP record) will continue to illustrate the previous format and requirements of MC-FP, but credit will be shown for completing the extra modules."

The announcement adds, "The ABFM hopes that ushering in as many of the new beneficial features to MC-FP as soon as possible will provide diplomates with the flexibility to make the MC-FP process smoother and more efficient."

Almost 9,000 people who were expected to enter MC-FP in 2004 have by now entered, and about 8,000 have entered MC-FP in the 2005 group, says Puffer. "We've been very encouraged by the number of people who have entered the process. More than what we would have predicted, based on historical trends for recertification, have entered MC-FP for the 2004 group, and about the number we would have predicted have entered for the 2005 group."