PA groups lock horns over recertification proposal
Physicians aren’t the only practitioners ensnared in heated debate over renewal of certification. Two physician assistant (PA) groups have been sparring for the better part of a year over a proposed update to the recertification process.
The American Academy of PAs (AAPA) is decrying a new recertification exam proposed by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and announced last month that it’s exploring the possibility of instating its own certification organization.
In a recent press release on the subject, the AAPA charged NCCPA with misrepresenting the merits of recertification testing.
“NCCPA is incorrect when it says it has evidence that recertification testing helps patient outcomes. There simply is no such evidence,” the AAPA wrote in a statement dated July 22. The allegation was in response to a press release issued the previous day by the NCCPA.
“Over the last several months, AAPA has publicly challenged NCCPA to prove that recertification testing is relevant to patient outcomes, safety, and satisfaction,” NCCPA wrote in the statement. “NCCPA has already posted on its website the abundant evidence, from published studies in peer-reviewed journals, that support NCCPA’s recertification examination model and NCCPA’s proposed changes to that model.”
The NCCPA’s proposed recertification route would feature a proctored, closed-book exam in a specialty, as well as take-home exams every 10 years, according to the group’s white paper. The organization states that no official decisions have yet been made about the proposed changes.