American Osteopathic Association

Continuous Certification Process

American Osteopathic Association

Members – House of Delegates Board of Trustees - President Department of Education Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists 18 Certification Boards

Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists

2007 – approved schedule for implementation for continuous certification

All 18 boards required to submit plan for continuous certification by Nov. 2008

All plans to be implemented by 2012 American Osteopathic Board of

Emergency Medicine implemented continuous certification program in 2004

American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine

Continuous certification replaces traditional recertification

Program requires all diplomats to provide evidence of meeting four components on a continual basis

Components include: Professional Status, Continuous Osteopathic Learning Assessment, Formal Recertification Examination, and Practice Status

Professional Status

Maintain valid, unrestricted and unqualified medical license in state(s) where practice

Current, non-expired documentation of licensure is required to be on file with the AOBEM ongoing

All new licenses must be submitted Must maintain AOA membership and meet all

CME requirements and adherence to AOA’s Code of Ethics

Continuous Osteopathic Learning Assessment (COLA) Eight modules over 10 year cycle

available on-line All diplomats must take all eight COLA

modules within 10 year cycle Diplomat must receive passing score on

six Taking all eight and passing six are

required for eligibility to take Formal Re-Certification Examination (FRCE)

Formal Re-Certification Examination Required by all diplomats to maintain

certification – 10 year cycle Two year window before and after date of

certification expiration to successfully complete FRCE - certification date not extended

Examination consists of written and oral component

Written is computer based (Prometric) Oral is 2 stations, 4 cases, 1 Interpersonal

Practice Status

Diplomats must provide evidence of active practice of emergency medicine at time of application for FRCE

May be satisfied by direct clinical practice of emergency medicine or related activities such as administration, academic emergency medicine, emergency medical services, toxicology, sports medicine, and undersea and hyperbaric medicine.

AOBEM makes decision on relevance

Clinical Assessment Program (CAP) Quality improvement tool for osteopathic

physicians to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of patient care in their clinical practice

CAP provides evidence-based measurement sets on 8 clinical conditions including diabetes, asthma, COPD, coronary artery disease, hypertension, women’s health screening, childhood immunizations, and low back pain

CAP measurements can be used as a component of continuous certification for relevant osteopathic boards.