For many months, doctors cried out the ABIM is not listening to our concerns. Most of us disagree with the forced MOC we need to comply with. Yet, the ABIM continues to turn deaf ears. In response to a Newsweek article by Kurt Eichenwald, they stated that the only doctors complaining are the ones active on social media. They claim doctors in the real world love MOC. This completely ignores the 23,000+ doctors who have signed a petition to abolish the MOC process. Why overlook these doctors concerns? Perhaps, the ABIMs financial bubble prevents them from hearing.
Information continues to leak out about the ABIMs financial irregularities. Why, such as, do they require a luxury condo that cost over 1 million dollars in their possession? A condo that was purchased from the money paid from the same doctors who oppose MOC yet are bound to meet requirements. Many articles exist decrying the financial constraints of the MOC process. Yet, the ABIM executives persist in raking it in and ignoring its members feedback.
Many doctors believe that MOCs do not offer any real educational value. There is no evidence that show that MOC provides any improved patient outcomes. It would seem intuitive that the ABIM would provide evidence of the validity of enforcing MOC on physicians in response to the Newsweek article. Rather, they cast blame on the author for not disclosing that his wife is an internist. The ABIM has very strict rules regarding disclosing conflicts of interest. This was not one of them but rather invented to attack this particular author.
The ABIM also cast blame on the author for not disclosing that his article was an opinion piece. The author published this as his weekly opinion column. It completely befuddles the mind why ABIM casted this accusation at the author rather than providing any support for the validity of MOC.
Doctors reject the ABIMs claims that MOC improves clinical outcomes, especially as they failed to offer any reasonable evidence. As a doctor, when I prescribe a medication for a patient, I evaluate the evidence that it will work for the patient. Doctors step up to meet demands to practice evidence based medicine daily. Why should the ABIM be set to different standards?
Doctors who questioned the ABIM were labeled “complainers” or the “usual suspects”. Why would doctors be so easily dismissed when they were asking legitimate questions? Clearly, the monopoly of the ABIM allows them this luxury. They claim MOC is voluntary. However, this in reality speaks untruth. If doctors remain uncertified by their specialty board, those doctors cannot have hospital privileges. And without hospital privileges, insurance companies disallow them from participating. In essence, our compliance is forced if we wish to continue practicing medicine. How can this be voluntary?
The revelation of the financial interests of the ABIM is appalling. Their profits remain in the tens of millions. Isn’t this perhaps the biggest financial conflict of interest out there? As long as doctors pay the price under enslavement to the boards, they continue to generate huge profits for themselves. And there is no obligation for them to provide evidence that they produce a beneficial service to doctors or patients alike. They extort physicians with no oversight. How is this not criminal?
I believe good always wins out over evil in the end. The ABIM erred when they silenced doctors and abused them for their own profits. They erred when, and not publishing evidence of why the MOC is necessary, they chose to attack a reporter writing an opinion piece and went after his wife. They succeeded in their corruption for a few years. But, I predict their financial bubble will soon burst.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Linda Girgis, MD, FAAFP
