Finding Out if Your Doctor Is Board Certified Just Became Easier with the Launch of a New Patient-Friendly Website, CertificationMatters.org

CHICAGO, Feb. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has launched CertificationMatters.org, a new website designed to make it easier for the public to find out if their doctor is Board Certified by one of ABMS' 24 Member Boards.  The site was developed by ABMS for the entire ABMS enterprise, which covers more than 750,000 physicians who are Board Certified in one or more of the 149 specialties and subspecialties that Board Certification is offered by the ABMS Member Boards.  The site is aimed at presenting the public with a one-stop, easy-to-use resource where they can also learn about what ABMS Member Board Certification means, why it's important to quality health care and why "Certification Matters" to their health.

"Today's patients take an active role in their own health care decisions," said Kevin B. Weiss, MD, president and CEO of ABMS.  "Board Certification shows the public that a doctor has met the qualifications to provide quality care in a given specialty.  Board Certification by an ABMS Member Board is considered the 'gold standard' because of its credibility and the rigorous processes involved. CertificationMatters.org offers the public a resource that includes the information they need to help receive the best health care possible."

For more than 75 years, ABMS has been committed to providing patients with the highest quality health care by assisting its 24 Member Boards in developing and implementing professional standards for doctors.

"CertificationMatters.org helps Americans find a doctor who is committed to keeping up-to-date with ongoing medical advances in his or her specialty and is prepared to provide the highest quality treatment," said Dr. Weiss.

The informative and easy-to-use website features:

• "Is Your Doctor Board Certified?" – a free resource for patients to learn whether a doctor is Board Certified and, if so, in what specialty
• Descriptions of ABMS' 24 Member Boards and the 149 physician specialties and subspecialties where certification is offered, along with the training required for each specialty/subspecialty
• Doctors' testimonials of their experience with ABMS Member Board certification, why it's important and its benefit to both patients and doctors
• Research demonstrating the benefits of Board Certification and the ABMS Maintenance of Certification® program
• Information about ABMS, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Tips and suggestions on finding a qualified doctor and guidance for getting the most out of doctor visits
• Links to other credible health care websites

The website also provides information about the ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (ABMS MOC®) program, which promotes lifelong learning and self-assessment for physician specialists.  ABMS Board Certification began in 1933 as a one-time process that progressed into a time-limited certification process.  In 2000, ABMS launched the MOC program as the latest evolution in its certification, in which physicians are measured on six core competencies: (1) Professionalism, (2) Patient Care and Procedural Skills, (3) Medical Knowledge, (4) Practice-based Learning and Improvement, (5) Interpersonal and Communication Skills, and (6) Systems-based Practice.  The new CertificationMatters.org website explains the four-part process of measuring those competencies: Licensure and Professional Standing, Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment, Cognitive Expertise and Practice Performance Assessment.

About ABMS

For more than 75 years, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has been the medical organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. It assists its 24 Member Boards in their efforts to develop and implement educational and professional standards for the evaluation and certification of physician specialists. ABMS Member Boards provide physician certification information to ABMS for its certification verification service programs.  ABMS is recognized by the key health care credentialing accreditation entities as a primary equivalent source of Board Certification data for medical specialists. Patients can visit www.CertificationMatters.org or call toll-free 1-866-ASK-ABMS to see if their physician is Board Certified by an ABMS Member Board. For more information about ABMS, visit www.abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

The 24 Member Boards that make up the ABMS Board Enterprise and cover over 145 medical specialties and subspecialties include the: American Board of Allergy and Immunology, American Board of Anesthesiology, American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, American Board of Dermatology, American Board of Emergency Medicine, American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Medical Genetics, American Board of Neurological Surgery, American Board of Nuclear Medicine, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Ophthalmology, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Otolaryngology, American Board of Pathology, American Board of Pediatrics, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Board of Plastic Surgery, American Board of Preventive Medicine, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Board of Radiology, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery, and American Board of Urology.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)