Nearly 1,700 ASCO members shared their feedback and experiences in a recent ASCO survey on the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. Developed under the guidance of the ASCO Board of Directors and its MOC Task Force, the survey was created as a first step to better understand ASCO members’ views on MOC with the longer-term goal of generating evidence-based alternatives and changes to the program.

Highlights from the survey findings include:

• ASCO members agreed (64%) that ABIM initial certification contributes to improved patient care by establishing high standards for initial assessment of training and knowledge.
• However, overwhelmingly, respondents to ASCO's survey said that ABIM's MOC program does not improve their practice-relevant knowledge, nor improve the quality of care they provide (74%).
• The majority of ASCO survey respondents believe accredited CME is sufficient for learning and does not need to be supplemented with MOC (82%).
• ASCO survey respondents disagreed that fees associated with ABIM MOC program are reasonable (81%), and to a lesser degree, survey respondents disagreed that the time associated with ABIM MOC is reasonable (64%).

In the coming weeks and months, ASCO will continue to dive deep into understanding the lifelong learning needs of oncologists. To that end, the following steps are planned:

• A series of interviews will be held this month to better understand how private practice oncologists view the current MOC program and what a potential alternative to MOC could look like.
• Under the direction of the ASCO MOC Task Force, and using survey and interview findings, the task force will develop a proposal on alternatives to MOC and discuss them with ABIM.
• Early in 2024, ASCO members will have an opportunity to provide feedback and input on the proposal and recommendations.

For those who may have missed the survey, ASCO welcomes feedback and input on MOC, which can be sent to MOC@asco.org.