Physicians Learning and Applying Knowledge through ABIM's Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment

A new survey indicates that physicians are embracing ongoing professional development and incorporating their knowledge into patient care as they participate in the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA) program. The LKA, a quarterly assessment developed by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), provides immediate feedback on physician responses, enabling them to learn and apply their knowledge in real-time. The survey results, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, highlight the effectiveness of the LKA in promoting ongoing learning and patient care improvement.

Key Takeaways:

• 73% of general internists participating in the LKA reported changes or intended changes to patient care.
• 95% of doctors reported learning from answering LKA questions.
• Physicians scoring in the bottom quartile were 30 percentage points more likely to report that the LKA feedback motivated them to study more compared to those in the top quartile.
• Over 74,000 physicians are currently participating in the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA), with the goal of improving patient care through ongoing professional development.
• Physicians in the LKA program receive immediate feedback about their response with detailed rationales and accompanying references after answering each question.
• Physicians receive preliminary feedback on their performance quarterly after their first year of participation, both relative to an absolute standard and relative to other physicians.

Statistics:

• 73% of general internists participating in the LKA reported changes or intended changes to patient care.
• 95% of doctors reported learning from answering LKA questions.
• 70% of physicians said they were motivated to study further from feedback on their performance on the assessment.
• Physicians scoring in the bottom quartile were 30 percentage points more likely to report that the LKA feedback motivated them to study more compared to those in the top quartile.
• Over 74,000 physicians are currently participating in the Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA).

Sources:

• American Board of Internal Medicine. (2022). Survey Results: Doctors are Learning and Putting Their Knowledge into Practice with Patients as They are Regularly Evaluated in ABIM's Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA).
• Journal of General Internal Medicine. (2022). The Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment: A New Paradigm for Evaluating Physician Knowledge and Performance.
• American Board of Internal Medicine. (n.d.). About ABIM.
• American Board of Internal Medicine. (2022). Longitudinal Knowledge Assessment (LKA).