authID American Board of Radiology Case Study

The American Board of Radiology Leverages authID Solutions to Enhance its Certification Integrity with Biometric Authentication

The American Board of Radiology (ABR) is the premier standard for radiology certification in the United States. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced a transition to remote exams, ABR encountered challenges with identity verification and exam security. Their initial remote proctoring vendor struggled to meet the high-security requirements needed for critical medical certification exams, which can last days or over the course of months.

To address these concerns, ABR turned to authID, implementing its biometric authentication and ID verification solution to streamline and secure the candidate login process. Since 2021, this partnership has resulted in increased exam integrity, reduced disruptions, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from examinees.

Corporate Overview

The American Board of Radiology (ABR) is a non-profit organization that certifies radiologists, radiation oncologists, and medical physicists to ensure the highest standards of care in their fields. Each year, ABR administers more than 7,000 certification exams, playing a crucial role in maintaining excellence in medical imaging and treatment.

authID is a leader in biometric authentication and identity verification solutions. By eliminating passwords and enabling secure, frictionless authentication, authID helps organizations prevent fraud, reduce security risks, and enhance user experience. Its identity solutions ensure that only authorized individuals can access sensitive systems and applications.

ABR’s transition to remote exams introduced critical security and operational challenges:

• Identity Verification Gaps: The initial vendor lacked the necessary expertise in high-stakes medical exams, leading to concerns about ID verification reliability.
• Increased Candidate and Proctor Frustration: Almost 25% of ID captures required follow-up due to issues with capture. Difficulties with the ID capture process accounted for almost half of telephone support calls.
• Exam Security Risks: ABR’s ID verification process did not feature any verification of document authenticity.

With the integrity and user-friendliness of board certification exams at stake, ABR needed a comprehensive, automated authentication solution that could provide both identity verification and biometric authentication without further complicating the test-taking process.

authID’s Biometric Authentication Solution

To solve these challenges, ABR implemented authID’s Verified biometric authentication solutions designed to provide a secure, automated, and seamless experience for both candidates and proctors like.

Key Features of authID Verified as Implemented by the ABR:

• Automated ID Proofing: Authenticates candidates in real time, eliminating manual verification steps.
• Facial Biometric Authentication: Ensures only the registered examinee can access the test, reducing security risks.
• Seamless API Integration: ABR’s exam platform directly integrates authID’s platform for authentication, streamlining candidate login.
• Elimination of Password-Based Logins: Virtually eliminated password reset requests, and prevention of unauthorized access attempts.

With a simple and effective integration process, ABR’s developers were able to connect authID’s authentication system to their platform within a single day. This rapid deployment minimized disruptions and allowed for a smooth transition to secure remote examinations.

• Enhanced Exam Integrity: authID’s biometric authentication ensures that only registered candidates can take their exams.
• More Efficient Use of Worker Hours: ABR proctors previously had to manually re-verify IDs for 100% of test-takers. The implementation of authID eliminated that time completely.
• Reduction in Password Reset Requests: Candidates no longer struggle with forgotten credentials, leading to fewer disruptions.
• Faster Exam Access: The streamlined authentication process enables candidates to log in quickly and securely. This was especially critical for candidates who encountered occasional internet outages. Their time to reenter the exam was reduced by more than an order of magnitude.
• Improved Candidate Satisfaction: Post-exam surveys indicate that doctors appreciate the ease of use and reduced stress on test day.

With over 7,000 exams administered a year, these improvements have had a lasting impact on ABR’s operations, allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality certification exams with the confidence that their security requirements are being met.

Looking Ahead

ABR remains committed to providing a secure and seamless exam experience. The success of authID’s biometric authentication solution has reinforced ABR’s decision to continue its partnership and focus on remote-only exams, with no plans to change vendors.

As other organizations in high-stakes testing consider transitioning to remote exams, ABR’s experience serves as a blueprint for success, demonstrating the power of authID’s biometric authentication and identity verification solutions in maintaining exam integrity and protecting candidate data.

“The American Board of Radiology’s successful and ongoing implementation of authID’s Verified system showcases the trust that authID provides its customers in remote- and daily-use settings. Our accurate, lightning-fast, and secure platform provides peace of mind to ABR test administrators and takers alike, ensuring a seamless process for the next generation of radiologists and the healthcare industry at large.” — Rhon Daguro, CEO, authID