Exam Development
Peer Developed. Peer Recognized.
The HMDCB certification program is designed to promote excellence and professionalism by documenting individual performance as measured against a predetermined level of knowledge about hospice care. HMDCB's certification examination is a valid, reliable, and legally defensible assessment instrument that measures the competence of potential certificants against a codified and relevant body of hospice tasks.
An essential element of the HMDCB certification process is its dedicated team of volunteer subject matter experts (SMEs) who generously donate their time to create the examination content. The high standards of the certification program are upheld by the close working relationship between HMDCB, volunteer content experts, and testing experts. HMDCB adheres to the standards of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) in the development and implementation of its certification program.
Developing the Exam
When HMDCB was created, SMEs identified within the field, along with HMDCB and its highly qualified psychometric consultants at PSI Candidate Services, developed an initial bank of test items. These items are routinely updated by HMDCB’s item writing committee to ensure an examination with real-life relevance. An examination committee, consisting of diverse hospice medical directors then reviews each item for content accuracy and relevance, categorizes questions within the content domains of the exam blueprint, reviews the psychometrics of test items and examinations, and determines the passing score. By having SMEs and PSI working in conjunction, HMDCB has developed an exam that is legally defensible and psychometrically sound.
HMDCB continually evaluates and updates its certification and recertification processes. Approximately every five years, a new practice analysis study will be conducted to identify any role changes of the hospice medical director, with examinations modified accordingly.
In January 2020, HMDCB conducted a Practice Analysis Study to update the content blueprint for the initial and Continuing Certification Program (CCP) examinations. A survey was sent to hospice physicians across the United States, and the results were used to create the content blueprint for the examinations. The results are also used in the development of course materials by other organizations that provide initial and continuing hospice and palliative medicine education.
The certification examination, consisting of 175 multiple choice questions (150 questions are scored), is administered annually at designated testing sites throughout the United States run by PSI Candidate Services. To ensure that knowledge and skills are maintained at the specialty level, each HMDCB physician must meet Maintenance of Certification requirements every six years.
