And You Thought You Were Finished Taking Tests…
The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) has recently announced that they are in the early stages of developing a recertification process for its registrants. In other words, sonography professionals that are ARDMS registered will, at some point in the future, be required to "...demonstrate continuing competency..." over and above just obtaining the requisite CMEs as we do now. Yes--to answer the question that immediately comes to mind--in all likelihood this means that we'll have to take some type of recertification examination, or two or three.
A major factor in this decision was the need for the ARDMS to meet the expectations of the accrediting organizations who's standards the Registry is expected to maintain [i.e., the International Standards Organization (ISO) and the National Commission for Credentialing Agencies (NCCA)]. Then, of course, there is the issue of patient care.
The primary goals of recertification for medical professionals are to improve patient care, to set standards of practice, to encourage continued education and to reassure patients and the public that we remain competent throughout our careers. We're all aware of the current rate of advances in technology and practice of sonography. Thus, as painful as becoming recertified in the future may be (and we do not know what exactly the process will involve), I must admit that it is not only appropriate for sonographers, but necessary to ensure that those who are certified are, in deed, competent to be doing sonographic examinations. But that recognition will not be the Novocain we need to take away the sting of having to continuously prove our competencies in the future.
There are many recertification models utilized for medical professionals. In some cases there are "grandfather clauses" while other models offer "limited recertification" to those who do not deal directly with patients (e.g., educators, administrators). Thus, it would be premature for us to conclude that the process developed and implemented by the ARDMS will necessarily be a "one-size-fits-all," painful and expensive endeavor.
We'll just have to see what they propose and voice our legitimate concerns when the opportunity is provided (which, knowing how the ARDMS conducts business, I am sure will happen). Furthermore, recertification is not going to happen over night so there is always the possibility that we'll reach retirement before its enacted!
I could regurgitate what the ARDMS has disclosed in their recent communications but it's easier to just let you read it for yourselves. You can read the latest ARDMS press release, available on the ARDMS homepage.