Maintaining Your HPM Certification
Because the first hospice and palliative medicine subspecialty certification exams were administered nearly 10 years ago, many of the 7,000+ HPM diplomates are approaching the end of the initial 10-year certification. Turn to AAHPM's products and resources to help you maintain your board certification.
Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
These AAHPM products can help meet the MOC requirements.
Learn more about the full MOC requirements of your primary board at ABMS.org or contact your primary board for details.
| Education Activity | MOC Part II CME Activity | Expiration Dates for MOC |
| HPM PASS, 3rd Edition | 10 ABIM, ABFM, ABPN, ABR, ABPMR | June 8, 2019 |
| HMD Prep |
25 ABIM |
March 31, 2018 |
| HPM FAST - Pediatric, Psychiatry/Cognition, Prognostication | 8 ABIM 2 per module for ABA, ABFM, ABPN, ABR, ABPMR |
December 31, 2017 |
| HPM FAST - Hospice Regulatory | 8 ABIM 2 ABA, ABFM, ABPN, ABR, ABPMR |
October 31, 2018 |
| Essential Practices in Hospice and Palliative Medicine Learning Modules | 3 per module | August 2020 |
Osteopathic physicians and physicians from other primary boards should check directly with their boards about getting MOC/OCC credits for these education activities.
"MOC in HPM is the single best measure to demonstrate my dedication to ensuring I am delivering the best care possible.— Daniel Fischberg, MD PhD FAAHPM
Requirements
Some of the Boards require maintenance of the underlying specialty and some Boards do not. This is only general information. It is important to contact your applicable primary certification board for detailed requirements.
Do NOT require underlying certification to maintain certification in hospice and palliative medicine:
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Surgery
- Anesthesiology
DO require maintenance of underlying certification to maintain certification in hospice and palliative medicine:
- Family Medicine
- Obstetrics/Gynecology
- Psychiatry and Neurology
- Radiology
- Emergency
Hospice and Palliative Medicine MOC Exam
Registration for the MOC exam is completed through the physician's primary certifying board. ABIM administers the MOC exam annually. Learn more about upcoming dates of administration.
"HPM certification establishes that Palliative Medicine is a "legitimate" branch of medical practice. This says I value palliative medicine as an area of my practice and it takes special skills and training to be able to provide high quality care."
— F. Amos Bailey, MD FACP FAAHPM
Osteopathic Continuous Certification
Each specialty (underlying) certifying board developed OCC requirements implemented as of January 1, 2013. If you hold a time-limited certificate, you are required to participate in the five components of the OCC process in order to maintain your osteopathic board certification.
DOs with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine are required to maintain certification in the underlying, primary Board. Individuals may submit self-assessment CME for OCC credits. AS of summer 2015, there are no specific Practice Performance Assessment modules available. The expectation is that the AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialties will start accepting reports from physicians that demonstrate involvement in practice assessment in 2016. Please contact your primary Board for details.