Physician Assistant Certification Presentation Outline A Brief Overview of NCCPA Initial Certification and PANCE Overview of the Certification Maintenance Process When Things Go Wrong Tips for Maintaining your Certification Resources Q&A A Brief Overview of NCCPA 1
About NCCPA The only national certifying body for PAs Independent, not-for-profit organization Mission: To serve the public through exemplary programs that evaluate critical PA competencies and require the pursuit of lifelong learning and improvement Committed to excellence in all we do Received Georgia Oglethorpe Award in 2007 Received accreditation from the National Commission on Certifying Agencies in 2009 Our Board of Directors 2 public representatives, 4 PA directors-at-large and nominees from American Hospital Association American Medical Association American Osteopathic Association Assoc of Amer Medical Colleges Federation of State Medical Boards PA Education Association US Department of Veterans Affairs American Academies of: Family Physicians Pediatrics Physician Assistants American Colleges of: Emergency Physicians Physicians Surgeons The Board currently includes 10 PAs, 8 physicians and 4 non-clinicians. Initial Certification and PANCE 2
Initial Certification Two Steps Graduation from a PA program accredited by ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant) Students must graduate or complete program requirements before taking the exam. Successful completion of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) Students can be certified within 4 weeks of graduation - much less in most cases. Examination Content Blueprint Knowledge, skill and task areas: 18% Pharmaceutical therapeutics 18% Formulating most likely diagnosis 16% History taking & performing physical exams 14% Using lab & diagnostic studies 14% Clinical intervention 10% Health maintenance 10% Applying basic science concepts 100% Examination Content Blueprint Diseases, disorders and medical assessments of: 16% Cardiovascular system 12% Pulmonary system 10% Gastrointestinal/ nutritional system 10% Musculoskeletal system 9% Eye, ear, nose & throat 8% Reproductive system 6% Neurologic system 6% Urinary/renal system 6% Psychiatric/behavioral system 6% Endocrine system 5% Dermatological system 3% Hematological system 3% Infectious diseases 100% 3
PANCE What s it Like? Computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE 200+ testing centers (www.pearsonvue.com/nccpa) Multiple-choice questions that assess general medical and surgical knowledge Five-hour exam 5 blocks of 60 questions, 60 minutes each 45 minutes of break time for the entire day Cost: $475 Register at www.nccpa.net My Record Page 4
Practice Exams Available Online Practice Exams - $35 each 120 questions taken from the test item banks General performance feedback helps inform your exam preparation. Register online the same way you do for a certification exam. Test Day Tips Arrive 30 minutes early. Two forms of valid (not expired) ID required must match each other and the name as listed with NCCPA Do not bring any other personal belongings. Read ALL correspondence for detailed instructions about what to expect on exam day. View a short video about what to expect on test day at www.nccpa.net. PANCE Test-Taking Strategies Answer every question. (Score is based on correct responses; points aren t deducted for incorrect answers.) Mark those that you re not sure about, and review them if you have time at the end of the block. (Computer assists in review of skipped and marked items.) 5
After the Exam Do not discuss the test with others. Sharing exam questions or even general subject matter with others constitutes irregular behavior or cheating. It s just not worth it! If you had any problems at the testing center, document the situation in writing and contact NCCPA within 3 days of your exam. Exam Scoring: Standard Setting NCCPA uses a content-based standard setting process. An absolute standard is established. Everyone who meets the standard passes. Different from the norm-referenced standard setting (i.e., the bell-shaped curve) Accessing Your Results NCCPA provides score reports online. When your results are ready (about two weeks after your test date), we ll e-mail instructions for accessing your score report in your secure record online. To ensure immediate access, be sure NCCPA has your current e-mail address by signing in to your record and clicking the Edit link by your name. 6
Accessing Your Results Passing rate for first-time takers: around 93% If you don t get that good news after your first attempt, keep in mind two key policies: You may attempt PANCE up to six times within six years of your program completion. You are limited to taking PANCE one time in any 90-day period or up to three times in a calendar year, whichever is fewer. Overview of the Certification Maintenance Process Current Certification Maintenance Process 1. Continuing Medical Education (CME) 100 credits every 2 years (at least 50 of which must be Category I) Certification maintenance fee Due December 31 = $130 2. Passage of the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination (PANRE) Every 6 years Fee = $350 7
New Certification Maintenance Process Begins January 2014 100 CME credits 50 Category I credits that must now include 20 credits of directed CME Remaining hours can be Category I or Category II PANRE every 6 years Directed CME Defined 100-Credit CME Requirement (every 2 years) Category I (50 credits) Category I or II (50 credits) 20 credits directed towards self-assessment or performance improvement CME More on Self-Assessment (SA) Self-assessment is the process of conducting a systematic review of one s own performance, knowledge base or skill set, usually for the purpose of improving future performance, expanding knowledge or honing skills. Self-assessment activities often involve a learning experience. Examples American College of Physicians MKSAP program Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants Distance Learning Initiative 8
More on Performance Improvement (PI) CME PI-CME is active learning and the application of learning to improve your practice. Can be done in partnership with your supervising physician and others in practice Everyone can work on and get credit for PI-CME together Three-step process: 1. Compare some aspect of practice to national benchmarks, performance guidelines or other established evidence-based metric or standard. 2. Based on the comparison, develop and implement a plan for improvement in that area. 3. Evaluate the impact of the improvement effort by comparing the results of the original comparison with the new results or outcomes. More on Performance Improvement (PI) CME This concept has evolved since NCCPA first announced it was being considered. Asked for and listened to feedback Identified ways to make this less burdensome without sacrificing its effectiveness Can take different forms PI CME activities (like AAFP s METRIC program or the AAP s eqipp program) A Clinical Quality Improvement project (the original idea the NCCPA Foundation pilot tested) that is developed individually by the PA Certification Maintenance Illustrated Begins January 1, 2014 1 st CME Cycle 2 nd CME Cycle 3 rd CME Cycle 4 th CME Cycle 5 th CME Cycle By the end of your 4 th CME cycle, you must have earned at least 40 Category I CME credits through SA activities and at least 40 Category I CME credits through PI activities. During each cycle, earn 100 CME credits including 50 Cat. I credits with 20 earned through self-assessment and/or PI-CME activities. Earn 100 CME credits including 50 Category I, and pass PANRE 9
When Things Go Wrong The Appeals Process Code of Conduct The Disciplinary Process The Appeals Process Did you have a problem at the testing center? Were you unable to meet CME requirements or take an exam due to unusual or severe extenuating circumstances? Are you a military PA on active duty in a combat zone? The Appeals Process Should an unusual circumstance arise, document the situation in writing and submit with appropriate supporting documentation to NCCPA as soon as possible. Within three days for exam grievances Requests for exceptions to policy and exam grievances are reviewed by staff. Adverse staff decisions may be appealed to the Review Panel. 10
Code of Conduct of Certified and Certifying PAs Focuses on the ethics and professionalism expected from all PAs holding or seeking NCCPA certification Two sections focus on the responsibility of certified PAs to uphold the integrity of the Certification and recertification processes Laws, regulations and standards governing PA practice Developed as a way to clearly communicate expectations to regulators, employers and patients the standards that almost all certified PAs are already upholding NCCPA Disciplinary Policy Specifies consequences for irregular behavior and falsely representing oneself as certified Provides for the denial or revocation of certification based on Loss of licensure due to documented gross incompetence or unethical conduct Conviction of or pleading no contest to a felony Court decision that finds a PA mentally incompetent Tips for Maintaining Your Certification 11
Tips for Maintaining Your Certification 1. Go to NCCPA Web site to update any postal or e-mail address changes 2. Read all NCCPA correspondence 3. Log CME as you earn it 4. Save your Category I CME documentation 5. Take personal responsibility for your certification, i.e. don t delegate 6. Get definitive information about your certification only from the source Resources NCCPA Resources NCCPA: www.nccpa.net online access to your certification record exam application, CME logging, exam results, address changes video series that describes in detail how to obtain and maintain certification E-mail: nccpa@nccpa.net Or call: (678) 417-8100 12
Licensure Resources Use Credentialing Info Release link from your NCCPA personal certification record to request your scores be sent to a particular state board or another third party. Visit AAPA s Web site (www.aapa.org) for state-by-state information about licensure requirements. Questions? 13