As part of its commitment to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in health care, and eliminate health disparities, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is focusing on efforts to engage with physicians and medical specialists through the certification process and stakeholders across the health care continuum.
In the fall of 2021, the ABMS Board of Directors (BOD) approved new Standards for Continuing Certification, which became effective Jan. 1, 2024. Standard 18 sets the expectation for Member Boards, in collaboration with stakeholder organizations, to facilitate the process of developing an agenda for improving the quality of care in their specialties. This agenda must also involve efforts to help eliminate health care disparities.
In April 2023, the ABMS BOD adopted a new Strategic Plan 2023–2028 that features 10 imperatives, one of which focuses on DEI. The DEI imperative states that ABMS will “invest in initiatives that support equity in education, training, and care delivery.” By 2028, ABMS has committed to:
- Embedding DEI values and principles in all aspects of ABMS governance, certification standards, policies, and operational practices.
- Developing and implementing a programmatic DEI framework.
- Developing and publicizing DEI guidelines related to organizational governance and volunteer practice and policies with the Member Boards.
- Sharing data to enable effective DEI strategy decisions.
- Publicly reporting progress toward fostering DEI principles across the boards and facilitating patient access to diplomates who reflect and understand their diverse needs.
One month later, ABMS approved the formation of a 10-member task force to assist in implementing this imperative. In February of this year, the DEI Task Force presented a set of nine recommendations to the ABMS BOD, which were approved.
ABMS has already implemented some of the recommendations and is in the process of implementing others. To date, ABMS has completed two surveys about Member Boards’ DEI initiatives and will continue to survey boards for progress. This information will be the basis of an online inventory of resources that will be shared with the boards. This September, ABMS and the boards convened to discuss advancing equity in health and health care. Participants explored challenges and barriers to equitable health care and identified ways in which the certification process can contribute to improved patient outcomes. In December, ABMS is hosting a DEI item-writing workshop for the Member Boards in Chicago.
ABMS is looking to hire a DEI leader, who will be responsible for supporting and expanding both internal and external DEI efforts. This individual will also support the new standing ABMS DEI Committee, whose establishment was approved by the ABMS BOD this past June. Additionally, ABMS staff will support the Public Member Caucus in engaging the boards’ public members in support of equity-related initiatives.
ABMS has also been collaborating with Associate Members on DEI-related initiatives. For the past two years, ABMS has co-hosted the Equity in Measurement and Assessment Conference with the Association of American Medical Colleges, National Board of Medical Examiners, and American Board of Internal Medicine. At this year’s October meeting, participants addressed equity and fairness in assessment within medical education, highlighting progress made, and opportunities and threats moving forward. In an effort led by the American Medical Association this past April, ABMS joined other leading health care and medical associations from across the country in a statement on improving health through DEI policies.
© 2024 American Board of Medical Specialties
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