ACCME Reaccreditation with Exemplary Status!

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC) is pleased to announce that it has been successful in the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) reaccreditation process and has been awarded the status of ACCREDITATION through March 2012. CFMC has demonstrated compliance with ACCME’s Essential Areas, Elements, Procedures & Policies plus achieved the highest designation of exemplary compliance in Essential Area 3: Administration. For over 14 years, CFMC has dedicated themselves to providing non-educational tools, services, and quality improvement to educate and support the health care professional community.

Based on the ACCME’s review of CFMC’s CME Unit it was determined that CFMC’s organizational framework provides the necessary resources to support its mission, exceeds the standard of practice thus CFMC was awarded the highest achievement in this area, that of Exemplary Compliance. The ACCME noted areas of this structure by saying, "Through your ongoing participation with your QMS program, you are able to show that you have document and record control procedures, policies and procedures, working documents and instructions for each specific task performed." These documents play an important role in helping our Joint Sponsors meet the ACCME requirements as well as providing a basic structure for improved continuing education activities.

CFMC is an active Joint Sponsor of educational activities that are intended to improve patient care by maintaining, developing or increasing the education, knowledge and professional performance of physicians and other health care providers. This reaccreditation confirms CFMC’s commitment to our Joint Sponsors. We continually strive to improve the quality and value of our education program and services to you and your learners. Our staff is dedicated to this work as your partners for change. Together we can achieve improved patient care through education.

ACCME Raises the Bar

CME, New ACCME Criteria for 2008 and Beyond (Part II)

In the previous article on the new ACCME criteria we looked at the new criteria model and how it works over time. The ACCME is working to align providers’ goals with learners’ goals. This is the intention of CFMC as well, in order to meet these new criteria CFMC will be updating tools and services to allow their Joint Sponsors to meet and exceed the expectations of the new ACCME criteria. These changes will take place over the next several years to allow providers the opportunity to implement changes and to educate CE planners on the new criteria.

There are nine criteria considered to be level 1 criterion. These are a basic, entry-level, set of criteria used to determine provisional accreditation with the ACCME.

Level 2 includes all nine criteria from level 1 and adds six more criteria to complete the level. The move to level 2 criteria is a major step being undertaken by all CME providers to become compliant over the next several years. CFMC is currently operating at 100% on this level. Changes in tools and services provided are being developed to bring this compliance to completion. CFMC is finding that their Joint Sponsors are adapting to the changes easily as the department works diligently to educate planners and to evolve the process.

Level 3 includes all criteria from levels 1 and 2 and incorporates seven additional criteria. Level 3 is considered to be Accreditation with Commendation, the highest level of accreditation achievable. CFMC is working towards incorporating level 3 criteria as well as achieving full compliance with level 2 criteria. Becoming compliant with level 3 criteria will ensure the continuing education program to be operating at a level that allows our Joint Sponsors to excel in their CE efforts.

CFMC is refining their non-educational tools and services on a national effort to assure your activities are meeting all new requirements and to expand on the value of your continuing education program. These changes are a positive way to impact the quality of patient care through continuing education. If you have any comments or questions on this series please contact Lorraine Pickrell by email at lprickrell@cfmc.org.

Repurposing Brings New Impact

Expand Your CE Impact: Enduring Materials

This Enduring Materials installment of the Expand Your CE Impact series provides more information to CE Planners on how to repurpose previously completed activities. The use of this method provides your busy learners with new and more efficient ways of learning to suit their immediate needs. It is often a time and resource-saving use of CE efforts. Any enduring material created from a live activity is considered a new and separate activity and thus must comply with all appropriate requirements. The February/March 2008 issue of this newsletter reviewed the use of Online enduring material CE; this issue will focus on other enduring materials including CD-ROMs, DVDs, audiotapes, multi-media, and printed monographs.

The ACCME defines enduring materials as, “…a non-live CME activity that "endures" over time. It is most typically a videotape, monograph, or CD Rom. Enduring materials can also be delivered via the Internet. The learning experience by the physician can take place at any time in any place, rather than only at one time, one place, like a live CME activity. There are special provider-to-learner communication requirements for enduring materials because of the nature of the activity. Because there is no direct interaction between the provider and/or faculty and the learner, the provider must ensure that specific information, relative to the activity, is communicated to the learner prior to the learner's participation in the activity.” Online enduring material CE was covered in detail in the February/March 2008 issue of this newsletter so this article will cover other forms of enduring materials.

CD-ROM – A CD-ROM can have various uses as an enduring material. It can house an audio taped activity, an interactive or multi-media presentation etc. Higher market demand has reduced the cost of producing CD-ROMs in both small and large quantities making this medium an effective use of resources.

Videotape or DVD - These mediums are excellent uses of distributing recordings of a previously conducted live activity as a new CE activity. It is important to determine if you will use this form of enduring material as an activity prior to conducting your live activity. This will allow you to videotape your live activity in a way that will be most conducive to reproducing it as an enduring material on a videotape or DVD. While both methods are still acceptable, it is good to note that new technologies are making it easier and more cost efficient to produce DVDs of your videos rather than using videotapes.

Audio Recordings (Cassettes or CDs) – Recording the audio portion of your live CE activity can enable you to reproduce the activity as a new enduring material activity. Audio recordings have a special convenience because they do not require a monitor for viewing the material. When creating the recording of an activity, make sure microphones are properly in place. Testing microphones before your activity begins will ensure a quality recording to be reproduced as an enduring material activity later on. You may also choose to invite your speakers to either reproduce their teachings directly to audiotape at a later time or have them narrate a multi-media or interactive presentation.

Multi-media or Interactive presentations – The use of multi-media and interactivity in learning is increasing in popularity. Using slides, audio recordings or narrations, even video clips from live activities make excellent additions to any multi-media presentation. Creating an interactive presentation allows the learner to be active during the learning activity and can often develop into self-directed learning. Multi-media incorporate various mediums into one presentation or activity such as audio, video, and text. This enables you to provide your learners with multiple learning styles, i.e., auditory, kinesthetic, and visual learning in one activity.

Printed monograph – A printed monograph is often a book or pamphlet that is most likely written by a specialist on a specific topic. A monograph is a complete compilation and does not continue in a series or installments such as magazines or journals. Reproducing materials from a live activity, as a printed monograph might be more time consuming than other methods described here but may also be valuable for learners who do not have immediate access to equipment such as CD and DVD players.

Because enduring materials have little or no communication during the learning period, the provider of the activity must impart the following information prior to the start of the educational activity:

1. Who are the principal faculty and what are their credentials;
2. What is the medium or combination of media used in the activity;
3. What is the method of physician participation in the learning process;
4. What is the estimated time to complete the educational activity (same as number of designated credit hours);
5. When is the original release date and when is the most recent review or update (date); and
6. When is the termination date (the date after which the enduring material is no longer certified for credit)?

Release, review, and termination dates will provide your learner with a timeframe about the educational material within the enduring material activity. It is important to remember that policy requires providers to review enduring materials at least once every three years or more to make certain new scientific developments are included in the activity. Enduring materials cannot be accredited for longer than three years to make sure the content is accurate and up-to-date. Also make note that you may not enlist the assistance of commercial interests to provide the enduring materials or to distribute them to your learners.

Because of their extended reach and convenience to educators and learners alike, enduring materials are an excellent addition to your toolbox of learning methods. If you would like to discuss the development of an Enduring Material or have other questions, please contact Lorraine Pickrell at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3372 or visit www.yourCEsource.org for more information.

Variety in Professional Credit

CFMC is a national accredited provider of CME and CNE. We also partner with other organizations on a regular basis to bring you professional credits for NAHQ, AAFP, and Pharmacy. For more information please call Lorraine Pickrell at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3372 or visit us on the web www.yourCEsource.org.

Talk Back

As part of a quality improvement organization, it is our goal to continually strive for improvement. If you have comments or suggestions, we would like to hear from you. Visit us at www.yourCEsource.org or contact Jen Naused at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3139, email jnaused@cfmc.org.

CFMC Upcoming Educational Activities

Visit www.yourCEsource.org for a complete list of upcoming educational activities.