AOE Compliance Connection

Welcome to the June edition of AOE’s monthly newsletter! This month’s AOE Compliance Connection features breaking news and results from the ACCME CPD/CE Workforce Survey, the third installment of our series about Initial Accreditation, and some insightful takeaways from last month’s Learn to Thrive conference in Chicago, from AOE President, Stephen Lewis. As your summer season begins, make sure that AOE weekly compliance tips and monthly newsletter are a part of your team’s routine. We are here for your compliance success!

The CPD/CE Workforce Survey was designed to paint a clearer picture of the CE community. It is a collaborative effort by many medical boards and the complete analysis will be journal-published for publication by the end of 2025. While still underway, some preliminary results were recently released by the ACCME.

Below, AOE shares some of the most relevant data points from the ACCME release:

Who Makes Up the CPD/CE Workforce?

• 83% identified as female, 13% as male, and 4% as other or preferred not to answer.
• 54% reported holding duties outside of CPD/CE, highlighting the need for flexible and multifaceted staffing models.

Workforce Changes and Staffing Dynamics

• 1.31 new hires per organization over past two years
• 1.11 staff departures per organization over past two years

Roles and Experience

• Coordinators have an average of 6 years of CPD/CE experience, and 76% plan to stay in the field for the next three years.
• Managers have an average of 13 years of experience, with 84% intending to stay.
• Program Leaders have the highest average experience at 15 years, and 86% are committed to the profession.

You can read the full initial report from the CPD/CE Workforce Report in the ACCME’s most recent newsletter.

Interested in applying for Initial Accreditation with the ACCME? Last month, we outlined some basic information about the application, timeline, and framework to help your team prepare.

This month, we focus on a lesser-known part of the application process: ACCME’s Pre-Application Review Process. Unlike the ANCC or ACPE, the ACCME uses a pre-application review process, and once providers are determined to be eligible after this process, they are invited to continue with the initial accreditation process.

The ACCME states that, “the purpose of the pre-application is to provide your organization with an opportunity to demonstrate that it meets the ACCME’s Expectations and Eligibility Requirements and that it has mechanisms in place to fulfill the ACCME’s Accreditation Requirements when producing CME activities.”

There are five steps in this process:

1. 1. Review the requirements and processes.
      This is the “educate yourself” step! You’ll review ACCME Expectations and Eligibility Requirements, Accreditation Requirements, Accreditation Criteria, the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence, and ACCME Policies. You’ll also read some examples of compliance and noncompliance to read real life examples of successful (and not successful) attempts at achieving accreditation.
   2. Request an ACCME Pre-Application.
      Once you are confident you meet the requirements, initiate the pre-application process! Request an online form here. You’ll hear back within five business days and receive your next steps and access to the formal process in ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). Save these emails!
   3. Pay the fee.
      As part of the next steps you’ll receive via email, you’ll be provided with instructions for paying the Pre-Application fee in PARS.
   4. Pre-Application review.
      Once steps 1-3 are complete, the ACCME will review your submitted materials and verify that you have everything in place to move forward in the process. This isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be accredited, just that you are ready to enter the official accreditation process.
   5. Begin the Provisional/Initial Accreditation process.
      You will be notified within four weeks of pre-application whether or not your organization is approved to continue with the process for achieving Provisional/Initial Accreditation! Good luck!

Reach out to AOE for help navigating this process! We are here to help and happy to answer any questions you have.

Learn to Thrive 2025, ACCME’s annual conference, took place last month in Chicago and provided a rich environment for growth, engagement, networking, and a peek into the future of CME. Last month, Sarah Porter, CHCP, AOE’s Senior Program Manager, shared with you some of her key takeaways. This month, AOE President, Stephen Lewis shares some additional insight and data points from the conference.

Stephen Lewis, MA, CHCP

Many of the most insightful takeaways came in the form of valuable data points. Here are a few of the most interesting and applicable to CE providers, based on a survey of accredited providers:

• The most significant area of non-compliance for providers continues to be with Standard 3. Non-compliance rates:
  • 35% - Standard 3
  • 10% - Standard 2
  • 8% - Analyze Change section of Self-Study Report
  • 6% - Standard 4
• Slightly more than 50% of accredited providers report that their program generates external revenue, while for about half of respondents, internal funding remains a primary source of revenue.
• Percentage of activities by outcomes type:
  • Improved Learner Competence: 96%
  • Improved Performance: 35%
  • Improved Patient Health: 12%
  • Improved Population Health: 6%

• Accreditation status of current providers is:
  • 63% Accredited
  • 17% Accredited with Commendation
  • 10% Joint Accreditation

Conferences like these are a great place to connect with our clients and other healthcare stakeholders as we grow and learn together towards improving healthcare for each and every patient and provider.

• AAMSE Annual Conference
  July 16-18, 2025, Chicago, IL
  Read More >>
• ACPE Self-Study Workshop
  July 23-24, 2-25, Chicago, IL
  Read More >>
• ACCME 2025 Accreditation Workshop
  August 26-27, 2025, Chicago, IL
  Read More >>
• Newcomers’ Orientation to Accredited CE
  August 25, 2025, Chicago, IL
  Read More >>