Welcome to AOE’s November 2023 edition of AOE Compliance Connection, our monthly newsletter. In this edition, we feature resources from the ACCME that help providers actively incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in accredited continuing education (CE). We’ll also feature two end of year deadline reminders and will wrap up a 5-part series on the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. To get helpful, easy compliance tips throughout the chaotic holiday season, make sure you’re following us on social media (Twitter and Facebook). Remember, our success is tied to yours! Please reach out with questions or CE compliance inquiries of any type: inquire@aoeconsulting.com. We are here to help!
ACCME: DEI Resources
ACCME’s 2022-2026 Strategic Plan outlines five major objectives for the years to come: To “Promote Diversity and Inclusion” is a top priority. Practices that actively incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into accredited CE will be celebrated.
The most current course, “Creating Accountability Through Data: From Racism and Neglect to Transparency and Repair” is available now and is free for accredited ACCME Academy users. It was recorded on October 10, 2023, by expert speakers who invited participants to reevaluate their conception of data on race and ethnicity.
The ACCME’s goal is to create a CE community that is comprised of “mutual respect, inclusivity, and equity” among providers, faculty, healthcare, and learners. Including issues associated with DEI into every level of accredited CE will benefit not only the healthcare professionals and activity planning teams, but also the patients in the broader healthcare community.
The DEI Resource page contains a growing number of resources in six categories:
- Recognizing Implicit Bias
- Incorporating empathy training into curricula
- Addressing DEI directly in education curricula
- Pursuing policy development for equity in CE
- Webinar: Advancing social justice with accredited CE
- Additional Resources
Compliance Reminders
The ACCME recently published a few helpful reminders for CE providers, including year-end reporting, MOC learner-completion data, and the updated fee structure for 2024.
Year-End Reporting and MOC Learner-Completion Data
It’s not too soon to begin preparing for year-end reporting requirements. Each certifying board has different requirements for year-end reporting. Learners need to enter their CME for MOC completion data for 2023 in PARS by the following deadlines:
- For the ABP, the deadline for PARS submission is December 1, 2023
- For the ABA, ABIM, ABO, ABOHNS, ABPath, and ABS, the deadline for PARS submission is December 31, 2023
The ACCME encourages providers to report this data in PARS on a regular basis throughout the year, as they complete activities (preferably within 30 days of the completion of the activity and evaluation).
This tutorial provides additional information about submission of learner data in PARS; additionally, providers can learn more about uploading via batch processes or web services here.
2024 Annual Fee Update
While the ACCME announced that there will be no increase in the annual fees for each tier in 2024, there are anticipated increases for 2025. Additionally, beginning in 2024, the ACCME is adding a fifth tier that will represent the top 1% of the CE programs (in terms of size). The changes only apply to annual accreditation fees; other service fees will continue as flat fees.
Read more about the fee changes (and see the full fee schedule) here.
Let’s Review: A Survey of the Standards (part 5)
The Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education were released in December 2020 with required implementation by January 1, 2022, officially replacing the established Standards for Commercial Support. As all providers are required to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Standards, it is a good practice for accredited CE teams to review and refresh on the content and requirements of each Standard.
Over these fall months, AOE has featured one Standard per newsletter (Standard 1, Standard 2, and Standard 3, Standard 4) to offer easily digestible insight and tools beyond the surface level. Let’s wrap up the series this month with Standard 5.
Standard 5
Standard 5 deals with the management of ancillary activities that are offered in conjunction with accredited continuing education. It applies only when there is marketing by ineligible companies or nonaccredited education associated with the accredited continuing education.
Accredited providers are responsible for making sure that education is clearly separate from all ineligible companies’ marketing (including advertising, sales, exhibits, and promotion) and from any nonaccredited education offered in conjunction with accredited continuing education.
The three major tenets of this standard are as follows:
- If ineligible companies are allowed to exhibit or market in association with accredited continuing education (CE), they may not be allowed to influence decisions related to planning, delivery, and evaluation of the educational content; to interfere with the presentation in any way; or be a condition of the financial agreement between the ineligible company and the accredited provider.
- The learners must be able to easily distinguish between the accredited CE and the other non-accredited, ancillary activities. For live activities, this involves a 30-minute time period before or after the accredited education and the other nonaccredited activities. For print, online, or digital activities, learners must be able to engage with the content without engaging with the other nonaccredited activities. The content itself must be free of product promotion, advertisements, and marketing by ineligible companies, or corporate or product logos or trade names.
- Ineligible companies are not allowed to provide access to accredited education of any kind to learners.
In its FAQ section, the ACCME clarifies a few different points about Standard 5, specific to the 30-minute time interval required between accredited and nonaccredited activities. Specifically, they clarify that for any live activity (in-person or online), the 30-minute buffer period needs to exist between the accredited and nonaccredited session, no matter which comes first.
More information about all five of the Standards can be found here.
Upcoming Events
- Alliance 2024 Annual Conference
February 5-8, 2024, New Orleans, LA
Read More >> - NCPD Accreditation 101 Workshop
February 13, 2024, Virtual
Read More >> - NCPD Accredited Provider Workshop
February 15, 2024, Virtual
Read More >> - Learn to Thrive 2024: ACCME’s Annual Meeting
May 14-16, 2024, Chicago, IL
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