Beginning June 1, 2022, the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine (BORIM) will require that both applicants for initial physician licensure as well as licensees renewing physician licensure complete a continuing medical education requirement of 2.00 credits on the topic of implicit bias in health care. The 2.00 credits can be applied towards a physician’s biennial requirement of 10 hours of risk management credits and does not result in an increase in the total number of required CME credits.
In making the initial announcement, BORIM noted the importance of eliminating racial and ethnic inequities that lead to health disparities in Massachusetts and that implicit bias amongst health care providers is one factor than can perpetuate the disparities.
BORIM will accept courses that were completed prior to the November 2021 policy announcement. For physicians that are applying for their license for the first time, an educational activity that is completed within one year from the date the application is submitted will be accepted. For physician license renewals, an educational activity completed within two years of the license renewal date will be accepted.
You can find a list of available courses identified by the Board of Registration in Medicine that satisfy the Implicit Bias in Health Care CME requirement. Three courses included on the list are: Diversity in Medicine Matters – The Benefits of a Diverse Workforce, Reflecting on Health Disparities and Moving Towards Anti-Racism in Medicine, and Unconscious Bias in Medicine. All three courses are currently free and participants can earn one CME credit per course.
BORIM also notes that physicians can “self-select educational activities that align with” select learning objectives and that physicians do not need to seek preapproval of any course that they consider compliant with the policy and learning objectives. The select learning objectives are increase self-awareness of personal biases to foster more just, informed decisions; recognize the effect of implicit bias on patients and their health care; and apply mitigation strategies to address implicit bias. The courses should also demonstrate conscious mitigation strategies to overcome implicit bias.
Additionally, while the implicit bias training does not have to be specifically for physicians, it must be on implicit bias in healthcare.
For any further questions, you can contact BORIM directly at the contact information provided in this FAQ sheet.