AOE Compliance Connection

Welcome to the November edition of AOE Compliance Connection, AOE’s monthly newsletter. In this month’s newsletter, we feature the ACCME’s recent article CME simplification and their Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) resources and call for submissions. Be sure to follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook) to make sure you don’t miss a single weekly compliance tip or compliance updates – they are designed to make your life easier! As always, email us at inquire@aoeconsulting.com with any and all questions and comments!

In an effort to help providers plan CE activities more efficiently, the ACCME collected some common myths about initiative planning from accredited providers. The published ACCME response clears up some questions by looking to successful providers who share some of their own solutions. The full article can be read here; we highlight three of the myths below, along with provider insight.

Myth #1: The activity course chair must fill out the CME activity planning form. 

Reality: There are many ways to capture this information more efficiently than the reliance on another paper form. The ACCME suggests considering a 10-minute conversation comprised of everyday questions like “What practice-based problem will this education address?” 

“Put yourself in the shoes of the faculty member. Consider developing a process map outlining the faculty member’s role in the planning process and brainstorm ways in which participation can be streamlined and made easier.” –Kurt Snyder

Myth #2: The ACCME requires that learners complete an evaluation form following every activity.

Reality: The evaluation of changes in learners or patient outcomes can actually be achieved in a variety of ways, many of which do not involve a written survey at all. A few shared strategies include short, moderated discussions during the activity or asking learners to share “reflective statements” verbally or through electronic communication.

“Prior to asking a learner to populate an evaluation, take a moment to ask yourself: ‘Why am I asking these questions? Is it possible to get these results in a more efficient way?’” –Kurt Snyder

Myth #3: An accredited CME provider must collect a new disclosure from an individual for each activity in which that individual is in control of content.

Reality: The truth is that accredited providers are allowed to share copies of individual disclosures as long as they confirm if the information is still accurate.

“Throughout the years, my team and I have often worked with the same faculty members for our board review and exam prep courses. Instead of asking these individuals to send their basic information we already had on file, our team pre-populated the faculty members’ information and requested that they review to ensure it was still accurate. We also sent prior disclosures, slides, and handouts so faculty members could update these materials as needed or confirm no changes were necessary. Many faculty members thanked us for considerably lessening their workloads.” –Elizabeth Nettleton

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 education will be celebrated and even rewarded.

The goal is to create a CE community that is comprised of “mutual respect, inclusivity, and equity” among providers, faculty, healthcare, and learners. The ACCME says that including issues associated with DEI into every level of accredited education will benefit not only the healthcare professionals and activity planning teams, but also the patients in the broader healthcare community.

The 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

The ACCME is calling on the CE community at large to expand these resources further by submitting DEI resources to info@accme.org.

Providers can submit DEI resources via email – just make sure the subject line reads “DEI Resources”, the email contains your name/title/organization, you include a link to the resources along with a description of your experience with it, and confirm that it can be publicly shared.

• Alliance 2023 Annual Conference
  February 6-9, 2023, National Harbor, MD
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• SACME Annual Meeting 2023
  March 14-17, 2023, Nashville, TN
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• ACCME 2023 Meeting
  May 16-18, 2023, Chicago, IL
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