CHEST Guidelines-Rebuttal-From-Drs-Desai-and-Kovitz_2017

Rebuttal-From-Drs-Desai-and-Kovitz_2017_chest

Pdf Summary

In their rebuttal, Drs. Neeraj R. Desai and Kevin L. Kovitz address the argument made by Drs. Lee and Lerner, which suggests that Interventional Pulmonology (IP) should gain subspecialty designation and board certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). Desai and Kovitz agree that IP is indeed a subspecialty that warrants accreditation standards and board certification. However, they counter that these frameworks already exist, managed efficiently by specialized organizations such as the American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (AABIP) and the Association of Interventional Pulmonology Program Directors.<br /><br />Desai and Kovitz argue that the lack of recognition by state boards is irrelevant to licensure, as board certification is more often a requirement imposed by specific hospitals for granting privileges. They express the need for the medical community to recognize the value of AABIP rather than defaulting to ABIM certification.<br /><br />The authors criticize the ABIM for potentially being overly bureaucratic and burdensome, with practitioners reportedly finding its maintenance of certification activities onerous and of limited value. They suggest that the ABIM might prioritize revenue generation over quality assessment. Desai and Kovitz emphasize the importance of having a certifying board with direct subject expertise, advocating that IP has matured to a degree where it can assess its own practitioners effectively.<br /><br />The authors argue against the need to involve the ABIM in IP certification, as unique training and certification already exist within the specialized body. They caution against adding another bureaucratic layer, which they believe would detract from focus on quality, concluding that IP should remain governed by those with subject-specific expertise.

Keywords

Interventional Pulmonology

subspecialty designation

board certification

American Board of Internal Medicine

American Association of Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology

certification standards

bureaucratic burdens

specialized organizations

medical community recognition

subject-specific expertise