What
is the difference between ABMS Board Certification vs ACHM Certification?
A common question regards the
differences between the Board Examination given by the American Boards of Preventative
Medicine / Emergency Medicine and the ACHM Certification Examination. We
are also often asked which examination an applicant should consider. Our advice
would be to take the ABPM or ABEM Hyperbaric Board Exam if you qualify, as
after 2010 it will be only available to applicants who have completed a one
year approved clinical fellowship in hyperbaric medicine.
The ACHM does not administer
a "board exam", as relevant legal opinion and case law indicates that the terms
"Board Examination" and "Board Certified" can be used ethically only by one of
the 28 boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties.
For physicians who do not
qualify for the ABPM or ABEM Hyperbaric Board Exam, the ACHM examination
process is an excellent and recommended pathway for certification. The ACHM
Certification Examination will confer on the successful applicant a Certificate
of Special Qualification and Certification in the specialty of Clinical
Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine. The prerequisites for sitting for the ACHM exam
are nearly identical to the prerequisites now demanded by the ABPM and the ABEM
during the "grandfathered" practice track period. He or she must be an ethical
hyperbaric practitioner and a member of the ACHM, have taken a 40-hour course in
Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine approved as a core curriculum by the American
College of Hyperbaric Medicine, the US Department of Defense, or the Undersea
and Hyperbaric Medical Society, or have completed a one year approved
fellowship in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine. He or she must also submit
documentation of supervision of at least 300 hyperbaric treatments.
The ACHM certification will
require and attest to the same basic skills and knowledge now required by the
ABPM and the ABEM. It will recognize and certify hyperbaric competence in
those mid-career physicians who cannot divorce themselves of their practices
for a full year's hyperbaric fellowship or for those physicians who do not meet
the criteria to sit for the ABPM/ABEM. It will continue to provide a pathway
for certification once the ABPM/ABEM closes the practice track. It will provide
nationally recognized credible evidence of competence to credentials
committees, UHMS Hyperbaric Accreditation Survey Teams and the Joint Commission
on Hospital Accreditation.
What
are the approved indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
The following indications are
approved by the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine and are reimbursable
through CMS:
If
sufficient data demonstrates that HBO therapy is associated with a favorable
risk-benefit ratio for an indication, which is not currently on the approved
list from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, the Undersea and Hyperbaric
Medical Society or a Commercial Insurance Carrier, the ACHM will endorse the
application of hyperbaric therapy for the supported indication. Indications
that meet these criteria and are supported by the ACHM as appropriate for
hyperbaric oxygen therapy include:
Actinomycosis
(only as an adjunct to conventional therapy when the disease process is
refractory to antibiotics and surgical treatment)
Brown
Recluse Spider Bite
Intracranial
Brain Abscess
The ACHM supports the
treatment of patients with non-approved indications only in a research setting
using a protocol that has been approved by an Institutional Review Board. The
ACHM supports the continued performance of well-designed clinical trials in these
areas, especially those that are prospective, randomized, controlled trials. The ACHM does not support the
treatment of non-approved conditions for financial gain, without
investigational treatment protocols. College members who intentionally mislead
the patient or family into believing that hyperbaric therapy is an approved
indication or is supported by peer reviewed literature will be dismissed from
the College.
Does
the College have any working relationship with the AMA?
Yes. The College has a
representative in the "triple S" (subspecialty section).
What
is the mechanism for MD certification in hyperbarics?
Undersea and Hyperbaric
Medicine Practice Pathway Extension
The training plus practice
pathway for Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine has been extended through the 2010
application cycle. Two year of practice (at least 25% time) in Undersea
and Hyperbaric Medicine. Practice time must have been completed within the past
five years preceding application to be considered. Deadline for applications is
July 1, 2010. After that date, only physicians who have complete an approved
one year fellowship will be eligible. Applications can be obtained through
www.uhms.org or: American Board of Preventive Medicine 330 South Wells St.,
Suite 1018 Chicago, IL 60606-7106 Phone: 312.939.2276 Fax: 312.939.2218
Documentation of a two-year
period of time in which a minimum of 25% of practice time was in the practice
of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. Documentation of Undersea and Hyperbaric
Medicine research and teaching activities may also be submitted for review.
Documentation of supervision of at least 500 treatments.
The Conjoint Committee of
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine's (AOCUHM) spring examinations will be given
at the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine's
Mid- Year Educational Conference. In order to be eligible to take the
examination a candidate will have to meet the following criteria:
Have
graduated from an AOA accredited college of osteopathic medicine.
Have
satisfactorily completed a one-year AOA approved internship.
Have
satisfactorily completed a one-year AOA-approved hyperbaric medicine residency/
fellowship, or completed a clinical pathway consisting of completion of a 40
hour basic course in Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine and a two-year period of
time in which he or she spent a minimum of 25% of his or her time in the
practice of Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine. (The clinical pathway option for
certification will expire on December 31, 2013, after which only the
residency/fellowship option will be allowed. For complete details please visit
www.aocuhm.org .
For more information contact
the AOCUHM Staff at: 800-621-1773 x 8229 or visit their new website:
www.aocuhm.org .
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF HYPERBARIC MEDICINE
To qualify for examination,
the physician candidate must have supervised a minimum of 300 hyperbaric
treatments for approved indications as noted by either the Undersea &
Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The
application is not subject to the expiration of a "practice pathway" and will
remain open indefinitely. Applications can be obtained through the American
College of Hyperbaric Medicine www.ACHM.org.
A common question regards the
differences between the Board Examination given by the American Boards of
Preventative Medicine / Emergency Medicine and the ACHM Certification
Examination. We are also often asked which examination an applicant
should consider. Our advice would be to take the ABPM or ABEM Hyperbaric Board
Exam if you qualify, as after 2010 it will be only available to applicants who
have completed a one year approved clinical fellowship in hyperbaric medicine.
The ACHM does not administer
a "board exam", as relevant legal opinion and case law indicates that the terms
"Board Examination" and "Board Certified" can be used ethically only by one of
the 28 boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. For
physicians who do not qualify for the ABPM or ABEM Hyperbaric Board Exam, the
ACHM examination process is an excellent and recommended pathway for
certification. The ACHM Certification Examination will confer on the successful
applicant a Certificate of Special Qualification and Certification in the
specialty of Clinical Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine. The prerequisites for
sitting for the ACHM exam are nearly identical to the prerequisites now
demanded by the ABPM and the ABEM during the "grandfathered" practice track
period. He or she must be an ethical hyperbaric practitioner and a member of
the ACHM, have taken a 40-hour course in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine approved
as a core curriculum by the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine, the US
Department of Defense, or the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, or have
completed a one year approved fellowship in Clinical Hyperbaric Medicine. He or
she must also submit documentation of supervision of at least 300 hyperbaric
treatments. The ACHM certification will require and attest to the same basic
skills and knowledge now required by the ABPM and the ABEM. It will
recognize and certify hyperbaric competence in those mid-career physicians who
cannot divorce themselves of their practices for a full year's hyperbaric
fellowship or for those physicians who do not meet the criteria to sit for the
ABPM/ABEM. It will continue to provide a pathway for certification once the
ABPM/ABEM closes the practice track. It will provide nationally recognized
credible evidence of competence to credentials committees, UHMS Hyperbaric
Accreditation Survey Teams and the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation.
Click here for more
information about ACHM certification, or to register for the next exam.
How
should hyperbaric physicians be credentialed?
The ACHM
recognizes that credentialing criteria is a hospital prerogative. With that
understanding, the credentialing requirements established by the executive
committee of the American College of Hyperbaric Medicine are outlined below.
Credentialed hyperbaricists
shall meet the following criteria:
Hold
an unrestricted medical license as an MD or DO
Board
certified or board eligible by a recognized MD or DO board
Completion
of a hyperbaric training course approved/endorsed by the American College of
Hyperbaric Medicine, the UHMS, the Department of Defense or a ACGME recognized
fellowship in hyperbaric medicine
Be
physically able to meet the tasks of a hyperbaric physician at the facility
where he or she practices
Be
familiar with the operation of the equipment of that facility
Become
ACHM certified within two years of eligibility if the hospital has a policy on
board certification for scope of practice
For re-credentialing, the
ACHM recommends active practice and compliance with the ACHM membership
continuing hyperbaric education requirement, which states that members must
complete 16 hours of hyperbaric CME every two years. Half of this requirement
can be met by reading the hyperbaric literature, with the rest being fulfilled
through attending meetings and making presentations on hyperbarics.
The ACHM makes the following
statement in regard to patient safety: "It is the policy of the ACHM that a
physician (MD or DO) with an unrestricted medical license be in continuous
attendance in the hyperbaric unit whenever a person, either patient or staff,
is under pressure in a chamber. This is to preserve the outstanding safety
record of hyperbaric therapy in America."
How
do I locate a hyperbaric facility?
We do not provide a listing
of hyperbaric facilities, but have found the following resources to be
extremely helpful:
