Office of Continuing Education at CFMC Newsletter


June 2010 CFMC OCE Newsletter
Engagement: Criteria for Accreditation with Commendation Part 5 of a series on the ACCME updated criteria, C16-C22 Building Bridges amongst Stakeholders As part of our series on the seven new criteria added by the ACCME in their update of their essential elements for education, we now focus on the fifth of these criteria. As your ACCME provider, CFMC is required to implement these changes in all educational programs that we joint sponsor to award credit. Our goal is to educate our joint sponsors so that they can develop their programs in a way that each activity will meet the mandated criteria for CME. Criteria 20: The provider builds bridges with other stakeholders through collaboration and cooperation. The intention of Criteria 20 is that a provider will work together in greater capacity with stakeholders, including ones that might not have been worked with before. Through collaboration and cooperation beyond joint sponsorship, common interests can be achieved. As the ACCME writes, “the ACCME does not consider joint sponsorship, in itself, as a collaboration that will guarantee compliance with C20. However, joint sponsorship can be a byproduct of a larger collaboration....” [1] This criteria is broad in that it only requires “collaboration and cooperation,” allowing for many ways in which providers and other stakeholders can collaborate. For example, a provider might design an activity and collect data on it, with the joint sponsor prioritizing and analyzing this data. Alternately, in planning an activity, either the provider or the joint sponsor might introduce a new organization to the other, one that they previously did not have access to, for further planning, knowledge, or partnership. Identifying one’s current stakeholders and discussing who else might be considered a stakeholder is important in complying with C20; to actively collaborate with these stakeholders toward a mutually beneficial activity outcome is the goal to satisfy this requirement. Early planning between stakeholders and documenting the roles and responsibilities of each is sure to result in an activity—and likely one’s overall program—which will improve performance and patient outcomes and provide for not only compliance with C20, but also a successful team educational experience that is beneficial to all stakeholders involved. —D.A. Resources: ”Engagement: Criteria for Accreditation with Commendation (C16 – C22)”. ACCME Accreditation Findings Based on the 2006 Accreditation Criteria. Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. p. 12. ”Leading Transformational Change in CME: Criterion 20 Best Practices,” Richard Vanderpool, CCMEP, et al. Almanac. Alliance for CME. Volume 32, No. 3. March 2010. pp. 3-6. The Road to Success is Lined with Good Documentation When organizing your conference, it can seem like there are too many documents and forms that need to be submitted in order to receive credit. Things seem to become due just when you have an overload of tasks on your plate. While parts of the accreditation process can feel tedious and insignificant, the fact is that each part of the process is an important step in receiving credit as well as in making your conference a success. Completing your application, as well as any pre activity documents, allows the CFMC staff to understand why your activity should receive CME/CNE credits. The staff is very interested in the success of your activity and provides the highest level of customer support. Upon the staff’s review, your activity is recommended to CFMC’s Continuing Education Committee peer review that recommends moving forward to award credit. Other important forms include speaker’s biographies and disclosure forms. You are not alone, the CFMC staff is ready to help you each step of the way. The process is designed to not only fulfill the requirements of governing agencies, but to help your conference be a successful one. Contact Lorraine Pickrell at 800-950-8250, ext. 3372, or lpickrell@cfmc.org, if you would like more information about the services CFMC can provide to help you succeed. Visit us on the web at www.yourCEsource.org. Take your education national with CFMC’s eLearning solutions CFMC’s Office of Continuing Education supports its customers in taking their education national through the use of CFMC’s new product: online eLearning services. By combining our experience in continuing education content with superb technological resources, CFMC’s Office of Continuing Education now develops and executes high-quality online healthcare educational courses. In today’s market, online education is a major asset to any healthcare organization’s continuing education program. National Audience Affordable Convenient Learning Resource—Available to Learners 24/7 Accredited Programs Developed applying Adult Learning Principles Electronic Evaluations & Outcomes Measurement Tools Immediate Credit Certificate Delivery In-house Technical Assistance CME Consulting Services Live & Online Courses Visit yourCEsource.org for more information about our continuing education services to award credit to physicians, nurses, psychologists, and others. You may also call Lorraine Pickrell at 1-800-950-8250, ext. 3372. CFMC Upcoming Educational Activities Visit yourCEsource.org for a complete list of upcoming educational activities.