EMCC Overview

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Participation
Clinical Activity Status
Current Diplomates 
Former Diplomates

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) approved a program to promote continuous learning and periodic assessment throughout the length of diplomates’ certification and committed its 23 member boards to evolve their current or planned recertification programs into a four-component Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program that is based in six defined competencies. The six competencies are (1) Patient Care, (2) Medical Knowledge, (3) Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, (4) Interpersonal and Communication Skills, (5) Professionalism, and (6) Systems-Based Practices.

ABMS believes it will best serve the American public and the medical specialties by establishing higher and more continuous internal standards for certification in medical specialties. No group is better prepared to establish and implement standards for the medical profession than the medical profession and its physicians.

Emergency Medicine has always benefited from its efforts to establish high standards and implement them.  As all medical boards raise their standards and enter the era of continuous certification, Emergency Medicine will continue to maintain its high standards in the EMCC program.

Most emergency physicians recognize the importance of staying current, but with the advent of continuous certification and EMCC, all diplomates will have additional incentives for doing so. ABEM’s approach to EMCC is to establish meaningful standards while understanding that ABEM diplomates are busily engaged in the daily work of caring for patients. EMCC uses the convenience of the Internet to conduct the annual self-assessment tests. The cognitive expertise examination, ConCert, is offered in computer-based testing centers across the nation. ABEM believes that making EMCC convenient and flexible, and providing options will facilitate physicians’ abilities to meet the new standards.

The ABEM Emergency Medicine Continuous Certification (EMCC) program is based on four components, as envisioned by the ABMS. The four components of the ABEM EMCC Program are:

1. Professional Standing
2. Lifelong Learning and Self Assessment (LLSA)
3. Assessment of Cognitive Expertise 
4. Assessment of Practice Performance 

Components one, two, and three were implemented in 2004. Component four has an anticipated implementation date of 2010.  EMCC Online will accept diplomates' attestations in 2010, and the first attestations will be required in 2011.

Participation

Clinical Activity Status
ABEM recognizes that diplomates change the nature of their practices over the course of their careers; and it recognizes that diplomates may be engaged in patient care at some points of their careers, i.e., clinically active, and not at other points of their careers, i.e., clinically inactive.

ABEM recognizes that many diplomates’ clinical activity status will change from time-to-time and that EMCC must be built to accommodate these changes.

Each American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board will be required to identify its diplomates who are maintaining certification as either clinically active or clinically inactive. This status will be reported to the ABMS and will be public information. ABEM will report this information as part of its diplomate verification processes. It will not be identified on diplomates’ certificates.

ABEM will assume that all diplomates are clinically active until diplomates inform ABEM that they are clinically inactive or when diplomates do not complete Assessment of Practice Performance (APP) requirements. APP is based on diplomates’ engagement in a quality improvement program related to patient care and feedback on patient interpersonal relations, and it will not be required for clinically inactive diplomates.

Clinically inactive diplomates will be able to change their status to clinically active by completing one APP requirement, i.e., being involved in a quality improvement program that meets ABEM standards, attesting to that involvement, and identifying an appropriate individual to verify that involvement. ABEM will change a diplomate’s clinical activity status in accordance with the diplomate’s related activities. 

EMCC Requirements for Clinically Inactive Diplomates

All clinically inactive diplomates who wish to maintain their certification will be required to complete ABEM requirements for Professional Standing, Lifelong Learning and Self Assessment, and Assessment of Cognitive Expertise (ConCert) at the same level as required for clinically active diplomates.

APP is designed for diplomates involved in patient care activities.  Clinically inactive diplomates will not be required to participate in APP.

Current Diplomates
To maintain certification beyond their current certificate’s expiration date, diplomates must participate in each component of EMCC as follows:

• Continuously maintain medical licensure in compliance with the ABEM Policy on Medical Licensure
• Complete annual Lifelong Learning Self Assessment (LLSA) tests based on designated readings.
• Take and pass the continuous certification cognitive expertise (ConCert) examination in or before the year in which their certificates expire.  Diplomates must complete a specific number of LLSA tests in order to register for a ConCert examination.
• For clinically active diplomates, meet the requirements of the Assessment of Practice Performance component when this component is implemented.

All clinically inactive diplomates who wish to maintain their certification will be required to complete ABEM requirements for Professional Standing, Lifelong Learning and Self Assessment, and Assessment of Cognitive Expertise (ConCert) at the same level as required for clinically active diplomates.

The Policy on Required EMCC Activity describes these requirements in greater detail, together with the options available to diplomates who do not complete the LLSA requirements to take the ConCert examination.  The EMCC Policies and Procedures book describes how diplomates can participate in the EMCC program.

Diplomates who wish to view their specific requirements may sign in to EMCC Online and select “Check EMCC Status” from the quick links on their EMCC Personal Page.

Former Diplomates
Former diplomates whose certificates expired prior to 2004 had a time-limited opportunity to regain certification through the EMCC program by taking and passing the ConCert examination in or before 2006. 

Former diplomates whose certificates expired in or after 2004 have three years from the date their certificates expired in which to regain certification by taking and passing the ConCert examination.  In any of the three years that former diplomates do not take the ConCert examination, they must complete required LLSA test activity.  Former diplomates participating in EMCC to regain certification must maintain medical licenses in compliance with the ABEM Policy on Medical Licensure.

Former diplomates who do not regain certification through EMCC may regain certification by taking and passing the qualifying examination, formerly known as the written certification examination, and the oral certification examination. 

The Policy on Regaining Certification describes these options in more detail.  Former diplomates who are attempting to regain certification through the EMCC program may view their specific requirements by signing in to EMCC Online and selecting “Check EMCC Status” from the quick links on their EMCC Personal Page.  The EMCC Policies and Procedures book describes how former diplomates can participate in the EMCC program to regain certification.
 

EMCC Policy and Procedures Book

EMCC Requirements for Continuous Certification

 

Revised 10/24/07