Larry A. Green, MD
In this issue of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine (JABFM), the editors initiate a new feature, The ABFM–Robert Graham Center Policy Brief, a direct result of the ABFM’s research partnership with the Robert Graham Center in Washington, D.C. Policy briefs, by definition, focus on pertinent policy issues and have as distinguishing features brevity, evidence, and a singular focus on movement in a particular direction for a reason. This new JABFM feature will provide an outlet for what the ABFM is learning with its partners and associates, particularly about Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and its effects and opportunities. This feature is expected, over time, to represent a portfolio of published work that can be cited and used constructively during this next period of the major redesign of U.S. health care. The intended audiences of these JABFM briefs are leaders who can make decisions that matter to family medicine and primary care, as well as those individuals subjected to the effects of such decisions, particularly ABFM Diplomates. The ABFM–Robert Graham Center Policy Briefs will be published after rigorous peer review, consistent with other JABFM articles. The JABFM and the ABFM Board of Directors will evaluate this new feature, and they welcome readers’ responses and suggestions for improvement.
Green LA. A New Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Feature: The American Board of Family Medicine–Robert Graham Center Policy Brief. J Am Board Fam Med 2011;24:130–1.
