Ob/Gyn physician perspectives on maintenance of certification

Objective

To evaluate physician perspectives on the current maintenance of certification (MOC) activities utilized by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG).

Study design

We performed a convergent mixed methods study, using parallel quantitative and qualitative data collected via the internet plus paper surveys of a nationwide sample of Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians from November 12 to December 13, 2024. The questionnaire included 23 items about various aspects of maintenance of certification, physician burnout and demographics. Three open-ended questions regarding the pros and cons of MOC and recommendations for improvement were also included.

Results

Of the 5,083 requests sent, we received 503 responses (response rate 9.9 %), 54 were excluded because they do not participate in MOC through ABOG. Of the 449 remaining respondents, a significant majority of physicians reported that MOC was valuable relative to their time spent (62.8 %) and relevant to caring for their patients (77.8 %). Most respondents felt that MOC aided their professional development (70.3 %), lifelong learning (64.3 %) and patient safety (53.3 %). Conversely, forty-six percent of respondents perceived MOC activities as a burden. Over half of physicians presently experience burnout (54.1 %) and one-third of these felt MOC was a major contributor. Extending the recertification cycle to 2-years was supported by 61.8 % of respondents and to a 3-year cycle by 46 %. The most common suggestions for improving MOC were extending the time for recertification and stopping or overhauling the Practice Improvement/Chart Review activities.

Conclusion

Most Ob/Gyn physicians view the current MOC process as valuable and relevant to their practice of Medicine. However, most respondents also felt the process could be improved.