The American Board of Surgery (ABS) announced today implementation of a new ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism to reduce diplomate burden and align with the ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification.
Certification by the ABS carries an obligation for the highest standard of ethical behavior and professionalism. The ABS maintains that all patients are entitled to quality surgical care delivered in a professional and ethical manner.
The new ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism (Code) replaces the previous ABS Ethics and Professionalism Policy. In line with the ABS’s continued effort to reduce the administrative burden on diplomates, the Code is intended to streamline professionalism reporting by removing the reference letter requirement and instead requiring only a diplomate attestation.
Diplomates must review the Code and complete the new attestation when reporting on their ongoing certification requirements or when registering for a Continuous Certification Assessment. Candidates for ABS certification must review the Code and complete the new attestation during application for their initial certification examination.
ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification
The ABMS board of directors approved the ABMS Standards for Continuing Certification on Oct. 29, 2021. All member boards, including the ABS, were expected to be meeting or be in the process of implementing a way to meet all 19 Standards by Jan. 1, 2024. Two of these Standards relate directly to professionalism.
Professional Standing and Conduct
Professionalism is central to public trust in diplomates, certification, and the medical profession. Professional standing refers to maintaining high standards of professional conduct through which diplomates carry out their clinical responsibilities ethically, professionally, and safely. In the absence of workplace behavior measurement, we define “professional standing” in terms of the absence of actions by regulatory authorities that signify a breach of professional norms.
Maintenance of an unrestricted medical license is fundamental to professional standing. Medical licensure is a legal and regulatory process that differs based on regional statutes and regulatory customs. Some licensure actions may not reflect a lack of professionalism, and some unprofessional behavior may not trigger a licensure action. ABMS and the Member Boards will develop approaches to evaluate professional standing and conduct using multiple sources.
Requirements for Member Boards
1. Review of Professional Standing
Primary Source Verification of unrestricted licensure must occur annually. In addition, Member Boards must have a mechanism to identify and review information regarding licensure in every state in which the diplomate holds a medical license. Any actions by other authorities that signal a violation of the Member Board’s professionalism policies that become known by a board must also be reviewed.
2. Responding to Issues Related to Professional Standing and Conduct
Member Boards must have policies on professional standing and conduct that define the process for reviewing and taking action on the information that reflects a violation of professional norms. Policies should be communicated to diplomates and available on Member Board websites.
Removal of Reference Letter Requirement
A long-standing requirement for certification has been professional references, of which two were required every five years for ABS diplomates to maintain their certification. With the implementation of the ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism and an enhanced Ethics and Professionalism Attestation, professional reference forms are no longer necessary and have been removed from the ongoing requirements for ABS certification.
While the ABS no longer requires the completion of reference forms as part of the ongoing requirements of the Continuous Certification Program, the ABS does require submission of the names and contact information for two references that the ABS may contact for additional information in the case of one of the following situations:
- The individual is a former ABS diplomate who is enrolling in the ABS Continuous Certification Program pathway for lapsed certificate holders; or
- The diplomate or candidate for certification is found to be in violation of the ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism and/or has falsely attested to their adherence to the code; or
- The diplomate is audited as part of the ABS’s random audit process.
The individuals listed will not be contacted unless one of the above situations arises.
Implementation and Reporting Requirements
The ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism is effective as of Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Review of the Code and completion of the attestation is required at least biennially for most diplomates, at the time of regular Continuous Certification Assessment registration. Completion of the attestation is required in order to complete assessment registration.
Diplomates who are not yet enrolled in Continuous Certification are required to review the Code and complete the corresponding attestation at the time they are due to report on their ongoing certification requirements.
Diplomates participating in the pathway for lapsed certificate holders are required to complete the attestation in each year of the five-year pathway, then biennially following pathway completion.
Candidates for ABS certification must review the Code and complete the corresponding attestation during application for their initial certification examination, then biennially once they achieve initial certification.
In the event that an action is taken that the individual must report to the ABS, they must report within three (3) months of said action. Diplomates and/or candidates who engage in any of the listed actions will be subject to review under the ABS disciplinary action process. Individuals who fail to report within the designated time frame may be subject to immediate action on their certificate pending further review. All reports must be made by the surgeon via the reporting tool within their ABS portal.
Diplomates are now able to review the new ABS Code of Ethics and Professionalism and log into their portal to complete the corresponding attestation.
About the ABS
The American Board of Surgery is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1937 for the purpose of certifying individuals who have met a defined standard of education, training and knowledge in the field of surgery. Surgeons certified by the ABS have completed at least five years of surgical training following medical school and successfully completed a written and oral examination process administered by the ABS. They must then maintain their board certification through ongoing learning and practice improvement activities.
The ABS offers board certification in general surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical critical care, complex general surgical oncology, and surgery of the hand. It is one of the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties.