Component 4

Overview

Component 4 requires physicians to engage in continuous quality improvement through comparison of personal practice performance measured against national standards for their medical specialty. You can view your status for all components of Osteopathic Continuous Certification by logging in to the AOA Physician Portal.

The AOBPa requires completion of two PPA modules every 10-year certification cycle. A variety of activities may count as PPA modules, including:

• Performance Improvement Programs (PIP) in Surgical Pathology through the College of American Pathologists.
• NonGynecologic Cytology Programs (NGC) through the College of American Pathologists.
• NonGynecologic Assessments through the American Society of Clinical Pathology.
• Quality Improvement (QI) activity attestations submitted via the AOA Physician Portal (log in and select  OCC > Component 4 Attestation). The QI activity attestation is for physicians to attest to QI activities other than those listed above.

AOBPa-certified diplomates whose practice setting is 100% non-clinical or academic Pathologists who are non-clinical and/or in an academic setting may submit the OCC Component 4 Attestation Form for Non-Clinical or Academic Physicians to replace one Practice Performance Assessment activity for OCC Component 4. Diplomates may use this form no more than once per calendar year and no more than twice per OCC cycle.

For information on other methods of obtaining PPA credit, contact the AOBPa.