The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has opened an 80-day “Draft Standards for Continuing Certification – Call for Comments” to obtain input and feedback from all stakeholders who possess, use or rely upon board certification credentials as an indicator of a diplomate’s professionalism and proficiency of specialty knowledge and skills.

ABMS establishes the standards its 24 member boards use to develop and implement educational and assessment programs used in the certification of diplomate specialists. The new draft standards reflect foundational changes to the manner in which ABMS and its member boards deliver on their mission. They were developed after a year of deliberation with key stakeholders in response to the recommendations of the Continuing Board Certification: Vision for the Future Commission as well as of the wider stakeholder community.

The draft standards are intended to support and provide diplomates with the tools they need to stay current in medical knowledge; prepare them to address emerging medical and public health issues; and help them identify and address opportunities for practice improvement within the systems in which they work, all in a manner that enhances relevance and reduces burden.

The standards also address the needs of patients, families and communities by assuring that board certified diplomates maintain the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver quality specialty care.

The deadline to submit comments is Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Feedback received will guide and inform the development of the final Draft Standards for Continuing Certification, which will be considered by the ABMS Board of Directors in October 2021.