American Board of Radiology Perspective on Maintenance of Certification: Part IV--Practice Quality Improvement for Diagnostic Radiology.

摘要

The American public expects safe, predictable, high-quality care and assumes that physicians work to remain current and competent. The American Board of Radiology (ABR) encourages each board-certified diagnostic radiologist to understand his or her professional responsibilities and to participate in continuous quality improvement and lifelong learning. In the United States health care system, quality of care, medical error reduction, and patient safety represent continuing themes that dominate public concern (1-3). Maintenance of Certification (MOC), the overarching program of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its member boards, is the response of U.S. physicians to address these concerns (4-8). Although advances in medical science, technology, and biomedical research continue to accelerate, other barriers prevent rapid dissemination and adoption of evidence-based recommended care (9). A RAND Corporation study has estimated that only 50%-54% of the care Americans receive is care thathas been recommended on the basis of evidence-based medical literature (3). Much of what radiologists do is not evidence based (10). Outcomes and costs to diagnose and treat specific diseases vary widely among physicians, hospitals, health care providers, and regions of the country (10).