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New ABPMR PIP Option: NCQA Patient-Centered Specialty Practice Recognition
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) announced that physicians certified by the ABPMR can receive credit toward maintenance of certification (MOC) requirements for their NCQA Patient-Centered Specialty Practice (PCSP) Recognition. The ABPMR is the first single-specialty board to approve NCQA PCSP Recognition to meet its Improvement in Medical Practice (Part IV) MOC requirement.
“We at NCQA are very excited about this announcement,” said Margaret E. O’Kane, President NCQA. “This decision demonstrates the value the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and other medical boards place on NCQA’s recognition and recognizes the significant amount of work physiatrists put into completing specialty-focused clinical quality improvement projects as part of their NCQA PCSP recognition.”
ABPMR Executive Director Carolyn Kinney, MD, agreed. “When we reviewed the standards set forth by NCQA, it was clear that PCSP recognition meets our MOC Part IV requirements,” said Dr. Kinney. “We are pleased to bring another MOC innovation to our diplomates and, similar to other efforts across the MOC Program, grant MOC credit for work in which our physicians are already engaged.”
Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians work with chronic, often multiple conditions (e.g., cerebral palsy, brain and spinal cord injuries). PM&R physicians often see patients (and caregivers) who are highly engaged and looking for quality indicators to find the best care possible.
“In addition to now receiving credit from the ABPMR, one of the main advantages of having NCQA’s PCSP Recognition was the ‘stamp of approval’ and demonstrating to our families that we are providing quality care,” says Reginald D. Talley, MD, Physical Medicine, Nationwide Children's Comprehensive Cerebral Palsy Program and diplomate of the ABPMR. “With this designation, providers are sending more families to us. Our waitlist grew so long, we had to open more clinic days.”
Although this is the first single specialty to grant MOC credit for NCQA Recognition, the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics also offer credits for NCQA’s PCSP program, and the American Board of Family Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Pediatrics offer MOC credits for the NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home program.
NCQA believes that NCQA-recognized physicians should be able to use their status to meet MOC requirements, and is working with other medical boards toward that end. Visit the ABPMR website for more information on its MOC Program.
Learn more about NCQA’s PCSP Recognition program.
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. Visit the NCQA on the web, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About ABPMR
The American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) is an independent, nonprofit organization that certifies doctors who meet specific educational, training and professional requirements. The ABPMR offers specialty certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), and subspecialty certification in brain injury medicine, neuromuscular medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, pain medicine, pediatric rehabilitation medicine, spinal cord injury medicine, and sports medicine. For more information on the requirements and process for certification, visit the ABPMR website. The ABPMR can also be found on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
