Press Release

Endocrine Society Urges ABIM to Suspend New MOC Requirements

July 18, 2014

Society calls for independent research on the effect new requirements will have on patient access to care and other potential unintended consequences

Washington, DC—Earlier this week at the Internal Medicine Summit hosted by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the Endocrine Society joined with 25 organizations representing nearly all internal medicine subspecialties in voicing concerns regarding ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program.

While the Society supports the MOC system’s goals of continuous learning and improvement, its members have significant concerns with the unintended consequences of the new changes to the program.

The more stringent demands of MOC will likely diminish clinician’s available time for patients and negatively impact the quality of care. Furthermore clinicians engaging in other professional roles, like research, may be pushed out of clinical practice entirely, placing a burden on the endocrine workforce at a time of increasing patient need.

The Society and other attending subspecialty organizations were unanimous in their concerns about MOC regarding the unreasonable financial burden on physicians, the limited utility of the secure exam, and the desire for a broader scope of professional activities to be recognized within the MOC system.

In light of these and other concerns, the Society is urging ABIM to conduct a formal analysis of all possible unintended consequences of the new MOC requirements, with input from all professional societies and other stakeholders. During this process, the Society asks that the ABIM suspend its new MOC requirements.

The Society sent a letter to ABIM on June 5th highlighting their concerns and recommendations regarding the MOC program. The letter can be found here.

About Endocrine Society

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses, and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.

Media Contacts

Colleen Williams Senior Communications Manager, Public Relations Phone: (202)-971-3611 [email protected]

Jenni Glenn Gingery Director, Communications and Media Relations Phone: (202)-971-3655 [email protected]

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Who We Are

For 100 years, the Endocrine Society has been at the forefront of hormone science and public health. Read about our history and how we continue to serve the endocrine community.