ABMS MOC Directory To Offer Institute For Healthcare Improvement Open School Online Courses

CHICAGO, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a leading organization that oversees physician Board Certification and the Program for Maintenance of Certification (MOC^®) in the United States, announced today the addition of Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School online courses to the ABMS MOC Directory, powered by MedEdPORTAL'S CE Directory (MOC Directory). Diplomates of several of the ABMS Member Boards may now meet their Board's Lifelong Learning (MOC Part II CME), Self-Assessment (MOC Part II SA), and Patient Safety requirements by participating in the IHI Open School courses.  

"The ABMS MOC Directory was established to offer Member Boards' diplomates access to relevant, accredited CME MOC activities. We are pleased to be able to add these select IHI Open School CME activities to our catalog of offerings," stated Mira Irons, MD, ABMS Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs. "IHI is respected worldwide for its commitment to innovation in health and health care improvement. These activities will enrich our MOC Directory's inventory, offering valuable courses on the increasingly important topics of patient safety, quality improvement (QI) and faculty development."

Starting on April 29, the ABMS MOC Directory will index 20 IHI Open School online courses, seven of which are developed specifically for Graduate Medical Education faculty.  A program of IHI, the Open School was launched in 2008 and includes a growing catalog of 32 online courses. More than 365,000 learners have completed more than 2.5 million courses and are part of the Open School's interprofessional community, which includes more than 790 Chapters in 79 countries around the world.

"Physicians in all settings are now seeing that, despite their passion and hard work, they can't improve care and get the results they and their patients want without having improvement skills," explained Don Goldmann, MD, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. "While developing new skills at different stages in one's career may seem overwhelming at first, the small amount of time invested can go far and help clinicians overcome obstacles and improve care for their patients."

Since its launch in October, 2015 the ABMS MOC Directory has continued to grow, and now indexes more than 300 CME MOC activities to ABMS Board diplomates. Designed to offer Board Certified physicians access to a comprehensive, centralized repository of approved MOC activities across medical specialties and subspecialties, the MOC Directory has also been embraced by CME providers like the IHI. The MOC Directory's common submission form offers a simple way for CME providers to submit and receive approval for MOC credit.

IHI Open School courses are free for all students, residents, and university faculty and available to health care professionals for a modest annual subscription. ABMS Diplomates are eligible for a 10 percent discount on the subscription to the full complement of IHI Open School courses, provided they access the courses through the ABMS MOC Directory.

About ABMS
Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) continues to be the leading not-for-profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS establishes the standards its 24 Member Boards use to develop and implement educational and professional evaluation, assessment, and certification of physician specialists. More than 840,000 physicians are certified in one or more of the 150 specialties and subspecialties offered by the ABMS Member Boards.  For more information about ABMS, visit www.abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

About the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
IHI is a leading innovator in health and health care improvement worldwide. For more than 25 years, we have partnered with visionaries, leaders, and front-line practitioners around the globe to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. Recognized as an innovator, convener, trustworthy partner, and driver of results, we are the first place to turn for expertise, help, and encouragement for anyone, anywhere who wants to change health and health care profoundly for the better. To advance our mission, IHI's work is focused in five key areas: Improvement Capability; Person- and Family-Centered Care; Patient Safety; Quality, Cost, and Value; and Triple Aim for Populations. Learn more at ihi.org. To learn more about the IHI Open School, visit ihi.org/OpenSchool.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties

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