Continuing certification and lifelong learning in physician care

Patients deserve the best care possible, and physicians have a responsibility to keep learning so they can provide it. Medical knowledge, treatment options and standards of care continue to change quickly. The argument for ABMS continuing board certification, formerly known as maintenance of certification, is that it helps physicians stay current with new research, new technology and the latest innovations in their specialties.

The case for continuing certification is also tied to what patients say they want. A national 2025 survey of more than 1,500 adults in the United States, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago on behalf of the American Board of Medical Specialties, found that 93% of respondents said board certification was important when choosing a doctor. The same survey found that 98% expected their physicians to stay current with the latest medical advances in their specialties. In addition, 95% expected physicians to take part in ongoing education and testing to remain up to date, and 90% said periodic evaluation of physician knowledge should go beyond earning continuing medical education credits.

Research cited in the source suggests that performance on continuing certification examinations is linked to several indicators of care quality. Studies across certain specialties have associated strong exam performance with better adherence to clinical guidelines, safer prescribing practices, faster uptake of new evidence, and more efficient and more accurate diagnoses. The source also says performance on continuing certification examinations is associated with diagnostic accuracy.

One study highlighted in the source is a 2021 BMJ Open analysis of 1,410 general internists treating 42,407 patients. It found approximately 30% lower risk of death, emergency department visits and hospitalization among patients whose physicians ranked in the top third for diagnostic knowledge compared with those in the bottom third, based on diagnosis-related continuing certification questions. The source says this finding points to a relationship between diagnostic knowledge and patient outcomes, although it does not provide further detail on how the study was conducted beyond that summary.

The source also points to potential cost effects. Another study indicated that physicians who participate in continuing certification may save $167 per year per Medicare patient compared with physicians who do not participate, without sacrificing quality. Based on that estimate, the source says continuing certification may reduce Medicare costs by up to $5 billion per year. No additional details about the study were provided in the source.

Accountability is another part of the argument. Research across seven ABMS Member Boards, according to the source, consistently shows that physicians who participate in continuing certification have lower incident rates of adverse licensure actions. In practical terms, the source says doctors engaged in the certification process are less likely to face disciplinary action that could put patients at risk or create problems for health systems.

The source describes continuing board certification as a voluntary system created by and for physicians that has endured because it protects patients. It also says that a commitment to lifelong learning and assessment through voluntary continuing board certification serves as a marker of professionalism and competency.

The piece is written by Richard E. Hawkins, MD, who is identified as president and CEO of the American Board of Medical Specialties. The source says he works with the ABMS Board of Directors to create, plan and implement the organization’s strategic direction. It also says he has more than 30 years of professional experience, including service in the United States Navy as an officer in the Medical Corps and leadership roles at national medical professional associations. Before joining ABMS in 2018, he served for five years as vice president for medical education outcomes at the American Medical Association.

The overall message of the article is straightforward: continuing certification is presented as one way physicians can demonstrate that they are keeping pace with medical change while remaining accountable to patients.