Share Your Achievement
Badge Create a public profile and download your web badge.
Read the Blog
Visit the Diplomate Digest blog for the latest certification information and ABO news.
Browse Recent Studies
Explore studies published in medical literature highlighting the value of certification and Continuing Certification.
Enroll in the Program
Two enrollment pathways are available to diplomates certified prior to 1992 or whose certificates have lapsed.

Improvement in Medical Practice Menu

Below is a list of the activities appearing on the American Board of Ophthalmology's Improvement in Medical Practice Menu for Continuing Certification. These activities are designed to encourage ongoing assessment and improvement of patient care. Two activities are required within each 10-year cycle.

Access the complete menu and attest to activity completion through your Continuing Certification Status Page.

Activity

Description

Putting Quality Improvement into Practice: A Peer-Learning Webinar Co-Sponsored by the ABO, AAO, & OMIC

Growing consensus among healthcare leaders, policy makers, the public, and payers is that changes are needed to improve the quality of health care provided in the United States. In this recorded webinar, your board-certified peers, including Drs. Sara Bozorg, Roy Chuck, Sonny Goel, Bennie Jeng, Alan Kimura, Purnima Patel, Matthew Recko, and session moderator Robert Wiggins, will share practical ideas about how they have implemented quality improvement measures in their own practices with the goal of helping you do the same for yours.

Quarterly Questions® Improvement Articles

Choose three journal articles from the Quarterly Questions reading list under the “Improvement in Medical Practice” category and answer two questions about each article to earn credit for one improvement activity per 10-year cycle. This activity will be marked as complete on your ABO Status Page based on your activity within the Quarterly Questions platform; no attestation is accepted. The Quarterly Questions journal article option may only be used once per cycle.

American Academy of Ophthalmology Course List

 

Ten online CME activities offered by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) qualify for ABO Improvement in Medical Practice credit. If you are an Academy member, access to these activities is included in your annual membership dues. This option may be used to satisfy one or both improvement activity requirements.

Stanford Unconscious Bias in Medicine CME Course

This free, online CME activity provides education about unconscious bias in the academic medicine workplace and features research on unconscious bias, case studies with examples of unconscious bias, self-assessment opportunities, and the exploration of bias-busting strategies. Diplomates may access the Unconscious Bias in Medicine course and attest to completion of one improvement activity.

🏆 Improvement Project Using AAO Preferred Practice Patterns®

Choose any one of the AAO’s free Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines and track how implementation of the PPP has changed your daily practice. This activity may be used to satisfy one or both improvement activity requirements. Submission of your form is not required, but please retain it in the event of a future random ABO audit.

🏆 Improvement Project for Pediatric Ophthalmologists (Amblyopia)

The goal of this project, which was developed in collaboration with the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, is to improve outcomes for patients being treated for amblyopia. This activity may be used to satisfy one or both improvement activity requirements. Submission of your form is not required, but please retain it in the event of a future random ABO audit.

🏆 Improvement Project (Self-Directed or Team-Based)

Work alone or with a team using the form below to develop a project aimed at improving processes and/or outcomes in clinical practice. This activity may be used to satisfy one or both improvement activity requirements; each member of a team will need to attest to completion separately. Submission of your form is not required, but please retain it in the event of a future random ABO audit.

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Portfolio Program

The ABMS Portfolio Program partners with large health care organizations to recognize the work physicians are already doing to improve their practice and the care of their patients. The ABO recommends diplomates choose organizational projects that relate to topics such as: medication errors and practice access issues; wrong site surgery/wrong choice surgery/inappropriate surgery; low vision-related safety issues; professionalism; or diagnostic errors. Participation is managed by a contact at your home institution. Please write to us if you believe you have completed this option through your institution but have not received credit. No attestation is accepted for this option.

🏆 Clarkson Award Eligibility: Each year, the ABO presents one diplomate with the Clarkson Quality Improvement Award. Named for Emeritus Executive Director John G. Clarkson, MD, this award recognizes exemplary work in the development and implementation of an improvement project and celebrates diplomate commitment to high-quality patient care. Projects are evaluated with consideration for innovation, measurement, interventions, and overall impact. Contact the ABO for more details.