Faculty Collaboration Database

Relationship Between the American Board of Ophthalmology Maintenance of Certification Program and Actions Against the Medical License. Am J Ophthalmol 2023 Mar;247:1-8

Date

11/13/2022

Pubmed ID

36370838

DOI

10.1016/j.ajo.2022.11.001

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85143719548 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the likelihood of disciplinary actions against medical licenses of ophthalmologists who maintained board certification through successful completion of the American Board of Ophthalmology Maintenance of Certification program compared with ophthalmologists who did not maintain certification.

METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of ophthalmologists certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology from 1992 to 2012 with time-limited certificates. Rates and severity of disciplinary actions against medical licenses were analyzed among ophthalmologists who did and did not maintain certification.

RESULTS: Of 9111 ophthalmologists who earned initial board certification between 1992 and 2012, 8073 (88.6%) maintained their certification and 1038 (11.4%) did not maintain their certification. A total of 234 license actions were identified in the study group. Among ophthalmologists who did not maintain board certification, the risk of a license action was more than 2 times that of those who maintained board certification (hazard ratio = 2.34, 95% CI=1.73-3.18). License actions were significantly higher in men than in women (hazard ratio = 2.02, 95% CI=1.43-2.86). Ophthalmologists who had a lapse in their certification had a higher severity of disciplinary actions (χ² = 9.21, p <.01) than ophthalmologists who maintained their certification.

CONCLUSIONS: This study supports prior literature in other specialties demonstrating a higher risk of disciplinary licensure actions in physicians who did not maintain board certification as compared with those who did. Physicians who did not maintain certification were also more likely to have actions against their license reflecting a higher severity violation. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.

Author List

Sheth BP, Schnabel SD, Comber BA, Martin B, McGowan M, Bartley GB

Author

Bhavna P. Sheth MD Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Certification
Clinical Competence
Female
Humans
Male
Ophthalmology
Retrospective Studies
Specialty Boards
United States