Medical Simulation Corporation and the American Board of Internal Medicine Introduce New Simulation for Physician Assessment and ...( DENVER Feb. 4 /- The American Boa...),Health

DENVER, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) will offer Interventional Cardiology Simulations, using Medical Simulation Corporation's (MSC) SimSuite(R) technology, for credit toward completion of Maintenance of Certification. This is the first time ABIM is incorporating medical simulation technology into its programs to evaluate physician competence.

SimSuite technology replicates a real-life catheterization lab, and the five case scenarios developed by ABIM mirror what an interventional cardiologist would typically face in daily practice. Completion of Interventional Cardiology Simulations will provide physicians with 20 points toward completion of the Self-Evaluation of Medical Knowledge requirement for Maintenance of Certification. It will be offered at MSC's SimSuite education centers and several professional conferences.

"MSC is excited to work with ABIM to use simulation as an assessment tool," says Bill Younkes, MSC president and CEO. "ABIM is demonstrating great leadership in offering this innovative option to internists involved in Maintenance of Certification."

MSC began working with ABIM in 2003 to investigate the potential of using simulation technology as an evaluation tool. Ten clinical centers participated in the study, in which 120 physicians with varying levels of expertise completed six cases. Study results indicated that the simulated cases could assess cognitive and procedural skills in performing interventional cardiology procedures, and could discriminate between novice and advanced skill levels of physicians performing interventional cardiology procedures.

"Research has demonstrated that medical simulation has the potential to evaluate and assess physician competence, and we are pleased to be able to offer it as an option," says Rebecca Lipner, PhD, ABIM Vice President of Psychometrics and Research Analysis. "This is another example of how ABIM is making the Maintenance of Cer
'/>"/>