ACCME ESSENTIAL AREAS AND ELEMENTS
Measurement criteria have been developed for each Element in the Essential
Areas to measure whether the accredited provider meets the basic level of
accreditation. A provider’s documentation of the measurement criteria will
be the ACCME’s (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)
primary source of information for determining compliance with the Elements.
Element 1.1: Mission (The provider has a
written statement of its CME mission, which includes the CME purpose,
content areas, target audience, types of activities provided and expected
results of the program.)
Element 1.2: Parent Organization (The provider
must demonstrate how the CME mission is congruent with and supported by the
mission of the parent organization, if a parent organization exists.)
Element 2.1: Planning Processes (The provider
must use planning processes that link identified educational needs with a
desired result in its provision of all CME activities.)
Element 2.2: Needs Assessment (The provider
uses needs assessment data to plan CME activities.)
Element 2.3: Purpose and Objectives (The
provider communicates the purpose or objectives of the activity so the
learner is informed before participating in the activity.)
Element 2.4: Activity Evaluation (The provider
evaluates the effectiveness of its CME activities in meeting identified
educational needs.)
Element 2.5: Program Evaluation (The provider
evaluates the effectiveness of its overall CME program and make improvements
to the program.)
Element 3.1: Organizational Framework (The
provider must have an organizational framework for the CME unit that
provides the necessary resources to support its mission including support by
the parent organization, if a parent organization exists.)
Element 3.2: Business and Management Practices
(The provider operates the business and management policies and procedures
of its CME program [as they relate to human resources, financial affairs and
legal obligations] so that its obligations and commitments are met.
Element 3.3: Disclosure and Commercial Support
(The provider presents CME activities in compliance with the ACCME's
policies for disclosure and commercial support [Standards for Commercial
Support, 2004] and resolve existing conflicts of interest.
EVIDENCE-BASED CME
The AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians) believes an evidence-based
approach to CME will help insure the validity of CME clinical content and
lead to improved medical practice and patient outcomes.
Although this is optional, CME providers are encouraged to incorporate it
into CME activities. This evidence-based CME (EB CME) will earn double
credit for the portion designated at EB CME.
There is a new provision for MCG faculty members who teach
at live CME activities. The Division of Continuing Education can now
award AMA PRA Category 1 Credits for MCG faculty who speak at our
conferences. Read the
excerpt below from the revised booklet.
Assigning credit for teaching at category 1 live activities:
Faculty may be awarded two (2) AMA PRA Category1 Credits
for each hour they present at a live activity designated for
such credit.
Faculty may not claim simultaneous credit as physician
learners for sessions at which they present; however, they
may claim participant credit for other sessions they attend
as learners at a designated live activity.
Credit may only be claimed once for repeated
presentations.
STANDARDS FOR
COMMERCIAL SUPPORT The Standards for
Commercial Support were developed to ensure independence in CME
activities. There are six standards:
Standard 1: Independence
Standard 2: Resolution of Personal Conflicts of Interest
Standard 3: Appropriate Use of Commercial Support
Standard 4: Appropriate Management of Associated Commercial Promotion
Standard 5: Content and Format without Commercial Bias
Standard 6: Disclosures Relevant to Potential Commercial Bias