Giving Credit to the Medical Economics Journal

It is really easy to criticize and we do a lot of that on this blog.  Now it is time to give some credit (to someone else who did the criticizing). The editorial director, Keith L. Martin, of Medical Economics hammered the ABIM in his commentary.  The crooked and powerful boards are so repugnant now that everyone is getting in on the mix.  Why were this hammered this time?  Because they spent tons of money to figure out a NEW soundbite that would convince doctors they need the MOC.  Here it is:

The reason physicians need to spend thousands of dollars to take a test on things they often don’t encounter is because patients simply don’t trust them anymore.

Yup, that is their spin.  They are using the “fake news” option and the only way to fix it is with, you guessed it, the MOC.   Here’s some more from the editorial:

  1. Bottom line, according to the ABIM: Patients no longer trust their doctors. (Spoiler alert: They trust the internet, word of mouth and their friends instead). Luckily the ABIM is here with a sure-fire solution. By renewing your board certification every 10 years—or through its new two-year option —you will get an “unimpeachable marker of quality and credibility,” according to Baron.

  2. That’s right. By renewing their board certification, physicians can block out all the noise surrounding patients and provide them a guaranteed way to restore their trust. With a piece of paper saying you took a test. A test patients don’t understand or rarely even ask about.

Martin did a nice job in this piece and ends with “Dr. Baron, physicians are using “real news” to criticize your organization, its work and its value. If you are going to point a finger at patient trust as the main culprit hurting physicians, remember the saying that there are then four fingers pointing back at you.”

Can we please shut these (especially the ABFM) bastards down already?

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