| MOC Part IV: Improvement in Medical Practice |
Activities on the American Board of Ophthalmology's Improvement in Medical Practice Menu for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) are designed to encourage ongoing assessment and improvement of patient care.
- If you are a Track 1 diplomate whose certificate expires on or before December 31, 2020, you will choose 1 activity from the menu below. The ABO recommends activity completion prior to Year 8.
- If you are a Track 2 diplomate whose certificate expires on or after December 31, 2021, you will choose 2 activities from the menu below. The ABO recommends completion of Activity #1 between Years 1-5 and completion of Activity #2 by Year 8.
| Option |
Description |
Notes |
| Quarterly Questions |
Select 3 quality improvement-designated journal articles from the ABO's reading list while completing the Quarterly Questions program and answer 2 questions about each article. Doing so will count as 1 improvement activity. Improvement articles must be completed as part of standard Quarterly Questions participation (in other words, you are not permitted skip the clinical knowledge section or other article questions in the year(s) in which you participate). |
This activity option may be used only once during each 10-year cycle. For Track 2 diplomates who need to complete 2 activities, the ABO strongly recommends choosing this activity first in order to learn about fundamentals of quality improvement prior to applying this knowledge to the completion of a second improvement activity. |
| Approved Quality Improvement Activity from CME Finder |
The ABO has collaborated with the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to bring you the CME Finder tool, which allows you to search for accredited CME activities that qualify for ABO MOC credit in quality improvement. |
The CME Finder menu launches for the first time in January 2019; activity options that meet this designation may be limited in the program's infancy. The CME Finder program will report activity completion directly to the ABO, which will be reflected on your Status Page. Please double-check that the activity you've selected has been designated for ABO MOC credit in quality improvement. |
| Create Your Own Improvement Project |
You are invited to design your own improvement activity using a standard quality improvement methodology, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. You will have the option to create an individual project or adopt a project developed by a group practice, a department at an academic institution, a healthcare system, or a local, regional, or national medical society or organization. |
Documentation involves a brief project description that must be reviewed by the ABO before commencing the activity and a summary report submitted after the activity has been completed. |
| ABMS Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program |
If your institution is a Portfolio Sponsor through the ABMS Multi-Specialty Portfolio Program, you may be able to complete an improvement activity using this team-based, organizational pathway. |
Not sure if your institution is a sponsor? Check the ABMS Portfolio Program website to find out. |
| If you are no longer engaged in direct patient care, you may be eligible to maintain your certification by declaring Clinically Inactive Status. |
| What happened to the Practice Improvement Modules (PIMs)? The ABO has broadened its improvement menu to allow for greater flexibility and enhanced clinical relevance, and has discontinued the PIMs. If you have a PIM in progress, you must finish your activity by December 31, 2019. If you have already completed a PIM during your current 10-year MOC cycle, it will still count as 1 activity under the Part IV requirement. |