Advancing Assessment of Professionalism in Continuing Certification

Professionalism is a vital aspect of patient care. In fact, research suggests that the public believes board certified physicians are held accountable to higher standards. Additionally, studies have demonstrated that the competency of professionalism is associated with improved patient outcomes. The community of assessment professionals has an obligation to hold physicians accountable to a level of professionalism that warrants the high level of trust that the public has placed in board certified physicians. This symposium sought to understand the perspectives of various stakeholders, how experiences across the education and practice continuum inform next steps in assessing professionalism, prioritize what should be assessed across the education and practice continuum inform next steps in assessing professionalism, Prioritize what should be assessed with respect to professionalism in continuing certification, and Explore options to inform an initial plan for integrating assessment of professionalism into continuing certification.