ABIM offers module on caring for the medically underserved

The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) will offer internists and subspecialists in the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program a new knowledge assessment option focused on improving health care for medically underserved populations and closing well-documented disparities in care. The first MOC tool of its kind developed by any American Board of Medical Specialties member board, the ABIM module “Care for the Underserved” was developed by internationally recognized experts in the disparities arena.

The module focuses on the evidence base around caring for diverse populations. The module comprises 25 multiple-choice questions, many of which present patient-based clinical vignettes and ask respondents to select a correct diagnosis, treatment or management approach. The vignettes are based on the latest research and examine:

• concepts of health disparities and health care disparities, as well as their underlying causes;effective communication with patients of diverse socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds and varying literacy levels;issues related to underserved populations that must be considered when making clinical and administrative decisions; andnew research on patient preferences, legal issues, cultural competency, health literacy and practice systems as well as national position statements and clinical practice guidelines.

Upon successful completion of the module, physicians are provided with evidence-based rationales for the correct answers as well as bibliographic references for further study. The module has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.