The American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) received the 2021 Innovator Award from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) this week.
The ABP was selected for its development of the Maintenance of Certification Assessment for Pediatrics (MOCA-Peds).
The Innovator Award recognizes an organization that “created an innovative approach to a product, policy, process, or system that transforms or achieves a new level of success in a unique and innovative way and is also transformative and replicable for other individuals and organizations.”
MOCA-Peds is an online, non-proctored longitudinal assessment of pediatric medical knowledge where pediatricians answer questions on a quarterly basis.
“We are all absolutely thrilled to receive this honor and thoroughly appreciate I.C.E. for selecting us,” says Linda A. Althouse, PhD, Vice President for Assessment for the ABP.
Released in 2019 and developed with feedback from more than 11,000 board-certified pediatrician volunteers over a two-year pilot, MOCA-Peds now provides an alternative to the proctored exam given at a secure testing center.
“This award would not be possible without the outstanding work of the entire ABP staff and the tremendous contributions of the pediatricians who volunteered to serve on committees and focus groups, write questions, and participate in the pilot,” says Althouse. “We share this award with them.”
MOCA-Peds is innovative because of its longitudinal format and because it provides feedback to pediatricians to facilitate learning, with the goal of improving practice and child health.
Althouse received the award on behalf of the ABP in a ceremony held in Nashville, TN, on Nov. 17, 2021.