Federation of State Medical Boards Takes Interim Steps Toward Maintenance of Licensure Mo...( Organization affirms commitment ...),Health

Organization affirms commitment to policy requiring physicians to

demonstrate continuing competence

DALLAS, May 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On May 3, the Federation of State Medical Boards' (FSMB) House of Delegates took the next steps in developing a model policy that will assist states in requiring physicians to demonstrate their continuing competence as a condition of re-licensure.

At its annual meeting in San Antonio, the House of Delegates endorsed a recommendation for additional research into the impact a model policy, developed and released in draft form earlier this year by a special committee, would have on state medical boards, licensed physicians and other stakeholder organizations (http://www.fsmb.org/m_mol.html). The draft model policy requires physicians to take part in ongoing self-assessment and to demonstrate continuing competence in their areas of practice.

"Most patients assume licensed physicians are keeping current with the latest information and technology in their fields of practice," said FSMB President and CEO James N. Thompson, M.D. "The recommendations we are developing will help state medical boards assure the public their expectations are being met."

The House of Delegates also approved five guiding principles for policy development:

-- Maintenance of licensure should support physicians' commitment to

lifelong learning and facilitate improvement in physician practice.

-- Maintenance of licensure systems should be administratively feasible

and should be developed in collaboration with other stakeholders. The

authority for establishing MOL requirements should remain within the

purview of state medical boards.

-- Maintenance of licensure should not be overly burdensome for the

profession and should not hinder physician mobility.

-- The infrastructu
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