As of 2024, all ABPMR diplomates certified in brain injury medicine are required to participate in LA-BIM on an ongoing basis.
Longitudinal Assessment for Brain Injury Medicine
The ABPMR began offering longitudinal assessment for Brain Injury Medicine (LA-BIM) for continuing certification in 2024. Similar to LA-PM&R, LA-BIM is a learning platform designed to assist diplomates in keeping up to date in their BIM knowledge with relevant resources, provide immediate feedback, and identify gaps for learning and improvement over time.
Previously, BIM diplomates recertified through the BIM Examination offered every 10 years; after passing the examination, diplomates received a 10-year certificate. LA-BIM is a shorter, quarterly assessment with a five-year cycle.
All BIM diplomates are required to participate in LA-BIM to continue their certification, regardless of certification end dates or when they last took the BIM Examination. The BIM Re-Entry Examination will be offered annually as a re-entry pathway for diplomates who do not meet the performance standard in LA-BIM.
LA-BIM Basics
Platform and Program Design
LA-BIM is designed to help you continue your certification and improve your skills by answering quarterly questions on brain injury medicine, which can be done conveniently using your own computer or tablet.
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Quarterly Questions
LA-BIM will be structured similarly to LA-PM&R:
- Quarters 1-3: Traditional multiple-choice items; reattempt questions for missed questions in subsequent quarter
- Quarter 4: Reattempts from missed Q3 questions + article-based questions with immediate reattempts if you answer an article-based question incorrectly
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New Website Tools
Along with enhancements to your Certification Dashboard, a brand new LA dashboard will be available for you to keep up with your quarterly progress and requirements, and review items/sources from past quarters.
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Customization?
At launch in 2024, there will be no customization for topic areas or article-based questions. Customization options are under consideration for future years.
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Cost
Annual participation in LA-BIM will be $210 in addition to your CC Program fee ($360). If you are board certified through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, the cost to participate will be billed by ABPN. This is to offset costs it takes for the ABPMR to administer the assessment, provide staff support to diplomates participating, and other vendor fees.
Implementation of LA-BIM
If you have recently recertified in BIM:
The ABPMR is honoring all 10-year initial certificates issued in or before 2022, but you are still required to begin LA-BIM as of 2024.
All BIM diplomates are required to participate in LA-BIM to continue their certification, regardless of certification end dates or when they last took the BIM Examination. Diplomates who do not meet the LA-BIM performance standard must take the BIM Re-Entry Examination to avoid a lapse in certification.
Expiring in 2026 Beyond
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Cycle ends in 2026: You must begin LA-BIM in 2024 and will recertify if you meet the performance standard at the end of 2026 (December 31). Once you recertify, your five-year cycle will begin, starting January 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I need to participate in LA-BIM?
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How am I assessed on my LA-BIM performance?
Cycle end date of 2024: Performance tracked over four quarters in 2024. Percent correct will be provided at the end of one year and must meet the performance standard.
Cycle end date of 2026: Performance tracked starting in 2024 and ending in 2026 (12 quarters). Percent correct will be provided at the end of current certification cycle and must meet the performance standard.
Cycle end date of 2028: Performance tracked starting in 2024 and ending in 2028 (must complete 12 of 16 quarters). Summative assessment will take place in year five of the five-year cycle.
For diplomates certified in 2020 or after: Scores will be calculated in year five of the five-year cycle; Scores will be calculated in year five of the five-year cycle; however, you are required to participate in all years of subspecialty certification.
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What are reattempt questions and how do they impact my performance?
The LA-BIM program encourages learning, so diplomates earn full credit for correctly answering reattempt questions. For example, if you answer a question wrong in quarter one, you will see the same question again in quarter two. If you answer the reattempt correctly, the correct response will replace the initial incorrect response. We recommend that you review the rationale and references between attempts so that you learn from the incorrect response and answer correctly in the next quarter.
For article-based questions, you will see a reattempt in the same quarter. The same logic applies: if you answer a reattempt question correctly, the correct answer will replace the incorrect initial response.
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How will I know if I meet the LA-BIM performance standard?
Your performance will be displayed on your LA-BIM dashboard and updated in real time – if you are wondering how you are doing, just sign into your dashboard! If you meet the LA-BIM performance standard set by the ABPMR, your knowledge assessment requirement for continuing certification (CC) will be fulfilled and you will receive a new five-year brain injury medicine certificate.
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Will you keep issuing 10-year certificates for brain injury medicine?
Beginning in 2024, the ABPMR no longer issues 10-year certificates for brain injury medicine certification. The ABPMR has transitioned to five-year certification cycles.
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What if I do not meet the LA-BIM performance standard?
Throughout your participation in LA-BIM, you will receive immediate feedback regarding correct and incorrect answers as well as rationales and resources to help you learn – your dashboard will continually update, showing you in real time whether you are meeting the standard. We expect you will learn and improve over time, and there will be plenty of advance notice if you are not on track to meet the standard.
However, if you do not meet the standard at the end of your certification cycle, your certificate will expire; you may then regain your certification by either meeting the performance standard over participation in LA-BIM for another five-year cycle, or by taking the next administration of Brain Injury Medicine Re-Entry Examination.
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How do I study for LA-BIM?
Longitudinal assessment is different from an examination. Instead of implying “study-then-test” thinking, try to think of the platform as the study tool, because participation in LA-BIM is designed to help you learn and improve over time. As you answer questions, the platform will show you the areas in which you have knowledge gaps, and it will provide resources for improvement and further learning – and the spaced repetition feature will keep bringing back topics with opportunity for improvement.
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Can I access questions I’ve answered in previous quarters?
You will not be able to see the text of the question, but feedback about each question is provided in your question history in your LA-BIM dashboard. You may review all key points for questions, correct/incorrect answers, rationales, and references.
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What if I don’t complete all of the questions during a quarter?
At the end of the quarter, all unanswered questions will be marked as incorrect. Unanswered questions do not carry over to the next quarter.
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Do I get any CME or self-assessment credit by participation in LA-BIM?
Yes, CME credit will be available for answering quarterly questions. For ABPMR Diplomates, credits will be automatically added to your account by the ABPMR. For ABPN Diplomates, a CME certificate will be available to you within your ABPMR dashboard.
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What devices are recommended when answering questions?
You must be using an internet connected desktop or laptop to log into your Certification Dashboard to answer any longitudinal assessment (LA) questions. They cannot be accessed from a cell phone or tablet.