AOE Compliance Connection

Welcome to the September ‘19 edition of AOE Compliance Connection, AOE’s monthly newsletter. This month, we have been gathering the news from the three major accreditation boards, ACCME, ACPE and ANCC, to share with you, along with some helpful guidelines about conducting a CME Program Review! As always, we aim for excellence as we continue to serve you and your CME/CE team on many platforms.  Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay updated and view our weekly compliance tip. While you’re there, visit aoeconsulting.com to see what’s all available.  We are here to help!

Accredited providers have several opportunities to assess their CME/CE programs including reaccreditation, periodic CME/CE program reviews and routine updates to policies, procedures and forms. Assessment of a provider’s CME/CE program, helps ensure potential accreditation board updates and pertinent information is appropriately incorporated into official processes and that forms reflect the most current practices.

The reality is that many accredited organizations can have blind spots. The common adage is “You don’t know what you don’t know.” An external CME/CE program review, which is one of AOE’s service offerings, can benchmark a provider’s CME/CE program, providing insight regarding needed changes to bring a program back into compliance or changes that could enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the CME/CE program.

If an external CME/CE program review isn’t feasible or doesn’t make sense for your organization, and you plan to conduct an internal program audit, AOE recommends the following:

Review of Policies, Procedures and Forms: Review all CME/CE policies, procedures and forms against the criteria, standards of policies to ensure that the CME/CE program reflects the most up-to-date requirements. Ensure that all stakeholders have access to and are utilizing the current policies and procedures and associated templates and forms.

Common Compliance Issues: ACCME accredited providers should visit the ACCME website for “Common Compliance Issues.” This webpage provides a list of the most common compliance issues identified by the ACCME.

CME/CE Program Data: Take time to review aggregate activity evaluation data and note any trends. Pay particular attention to whether activities resulted in changes to learners’ competence and/or performance, if applicable.

Strategic Priorities: Take time to engage in a brief SWOT analysis considering the CME/CE program strengths and weaknesses as well as any future opportunities or threats to the program.

Professional Development: Consider engaging in professional development – whether attending an accreditation board Annual Meeting, the annual Alliance meeting or participating in online webinars.

If you are interested in an external CME program audit, please contact AOE Consulting at inquire@aoeconsulting.com.

Last week, the ACCME announced the date and location for their annual Spring meeting. The ACCME 2020 Meeting will take place from May 6-8, 2020, at the Hilton Chicago. While formal registration won’t open until this Fall, the invitation to contribute has already begun.

The ACCME requested that attendees submit proposals by September 13 in any of the following categories:

• Share Your CME Story: How are you changing practice and healthcare through accredited CME? What challenges have you overcome? What have you learned?
• Inspire and Teach: Share your proposal for an educational session and help improve the skills and performance of your colleagues.
• CME Effectiveness & Best Practices: Engaging in CME Research: Share your scholarship – what makes CME effective or ineffective in catalyzing learner change?

Last year’s meeting included a record-breaking attendance of 625 CME/CE leaders & stakeholders from 448 healthcare-focused organizations in 48 states and 7 countries.

“Spring Forward” was the overall theme of the ACCME 2019 Meeting, and attendees were offered 72 breakout session options, daily plenary sessions, a Public Health Fair, Health Professions Open House, Homeroom Groups, and the ACCME’s first ever Research Exchange session.

Last month, the ACPE Board of Directors announced that Janet P. Engle, PharmD, PhD (Hon), FAPhA, FCCP, FNAP will assume the role of Executive Director. The previous Executive Director, Peter H. Vlasses, PharmD, DSc (Hon.), FCCP, retired on June 30, 2019 after 20 years in the role.

Prior to this position with the ACPE, Dr. Engle worked as the Senior Associate Dean for Professional and International Affairs and Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. Her long history in the field of pharmacy uniquely qualifies her for this new position in which she will oversee leadership of the organization as a whole, budget development, collaborations, the strategic elements of the organization’s operations.

In their recent press release, the ACPE states the following about Dr. Engle: “Dr. Engle is a highly accomplished and widely recognized leader within the profession, serving as president of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), as a member of the Board of Directors for the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), and as a former voting member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Nonprescription Drug Advisory Committee. Dr. Engle has been named as a Fellow for both APhA and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) and was elected as a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice in Pharmacy. Within ACPE, Dr. Engle has engaged as an ACPE Site Team Evaluator for 27 years and was a member of the International Commission (IC) during the last seven years, including serving as the Chair.”

Dr. Engle will assume the new role in September 2019.