Ann Arbor, Mich. How well do you know your child's pediatrician" Is he or she board certified in pediatrics, or has he or she ever completed specialty training in the field"
Findings from a new study from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital's Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Unit may prompt parents to find out if their child's physician really is who he claims to be a board-certified and specialty-trained pediatrician.
The study, published in the June issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, found that as many as 17 percent of physicians in a single state who claim to be pediatricians on state licensure files have never been board certified as a pediatrician by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). And another 12 percent of physicians who report to be pediatricians did not complete a medical residency training program in pediatrics.
"Residency training in pediatrics and board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics distinguish the physician as having the level of expertise and knowledge to provide the best possible care for your child," says study lead author Gary L. Freed, M.D., MPH, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics and director of the CHEAR Unit at Mott.
He continues, "Our finding that up to 17 percent of those reporting to be pediatricians in a given state are not board certified by the ABP should encourage more parents to find out if their child's physician really has been board certified as a pediatrician, and that he or she has maintained that certification status. Recertification is equally important because medicine is constantly changing, and it is a means to keep physicians up-to-date on the latest medical developments."
So why are some physicians able to claim to be pediatricians without the proper training and certification" Freed says many state licensing boards allow physicians to self-declare their areas of expertise without verifying the infor
'"/>
Contact: Krista Hopson
khopson@umich.edu
734-764-2220
University of Michigan Health System
30-May-2007