Welcome to the April 2020 edition of AOE Compliance Connection, AOE’s monthly newsletter. This month, AOE’s newsletter features helpful resources and news about COVID-19, and how AOE is poised to help providers through this pandemic. You’ll also find the adjusted deadlines for board-specific annual reporting and an updated calendar of CME/CE events. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for weekly compliance tips and other timely updates!
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the CME community is evolving and adapting. To equip CME providers adequately, the ACCME’s Novel Coronavirus Education Resource webpage continues to be updated with additional resources designed for the community of clinicians and providers engaged in responding to the coronavirus public health emergency. The ACCME is encouraging the CME community to circulate this link freely, and to stay updated via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Additionally, organization can have their education/resources added to the ACCME’s Resource Page via this link.
A webinar was held on March 26 that focused on strategies for supporting the evolving needs of providers and learners, including transitioning from live meetings, rapidly accrediting a continuing education activity, facilitating workplace-based learning, and providing directed training to individuals and teams. The webinar can be watched in its entirety online.
Additionally, the ACCME announced that after carefully considering options, they have decided to transition the traditionally in-person ACCME 2020 Meeting in Chicago to ACCME 2020 Online. They will be posting updates here.
AOE Services in Light of COVID-19 Pandemic
In the last month as the world has shifted dramatically in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CME/CE enterprise has had to respond accordingly by transitioning live CME/CE activities to virtual formats and developing timely education to support healthcare professionals on the front lines.
As CME/CE providers have adapted, and continue to do so, shifting their focus and responding to unanticipated changes, AOE has worked to support both its clients and the CME/CE enterprise at large.
Here are just a few of the thing AOE has done and is continuing to do:
- In case you missed it, check out AOE’s Technology Toolbox: Cost-effective Solutions that Promote Provider Unit Efficiencies.
- AOE compiled recent updates from commercial funders. Check out our Commercial Funder Updates.
- We’re working with clients to navigate transitioning live CME/CE activities to internet live courses and/or online, enduring activities. This includes looking at existing resources such as technology solutions that a provider already utilizes or has access to as well as other potential platforms and/or services. It also includes mapping out CME/CE requirements in the context of a new format and platform to ensure that all compliance elements are met.
- We’ve been sharing available COVID-19 resources, such as the ACCME webpage COVID-19 Clinician Resources.
- We’re been working with clients who are expediting the development and deployment of accredited COVID-19 education to support healthcare professionals.
Lastly, we are continuing to stay abreast of challenges CME/CE providers are facing by listening to our clients and our peers and through participation in recent Alliance webinar offerings. We’re also staying attuned to accreditation board updates.
If you are interested in learning more about how AOE can support your CME/CE program please contact us at info@aoeconsulting.com.
Accreditation Board Bulletin
Part of the services that AOE provides to readers are weekly compliance tips and monthly CME/CE community news for ACCME, ANCC and ACPE.
ACCME
The call for comment regarding the proposed Standards for Protecting the Integrity and Independence for Accredited CE has been reviewed by the ACCME’s Board of Directors. Currently, a decision has not been formally reached, in part because many provider responses encouraged the ACCME to seek alignment of the disclosure expectations with other stakeholders.
Disclosure alignment would simplify the process for providers, faculty members, researchers, and authors. As such, the Board has delayed the adoption and implementation of the revised Standards while discussions are still ongoing. Finalization of the revised Standards is expected in the fall, allowing release by the end of 2020.
Once the revised Standards have been accepted by the Board, the ACCME will release a transition plan for providers. The plan will include:
- Transition phase to allow stakeholders time to prepare and meet the new expectations.
- Education and resources to aid in the successful incorporation of the revised Standards.
As for now, the current Standards remain in place and should continue to be utilized compliantly within your CME Program.
Annual Reporting Reminder:
The ACCME’s deadline for 2019 year-end reporting has been extended. The deadline is now April 30th, 2020. As in previous years, data gathered between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019 should be entered into the ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). State-accredited providers should check with their specific accreditor for reporting requirements and deadlines.
ANCC
Many continuing nursing education (CNE) providers are looking to continue their educational sessions virtually, in order to keep learners safe in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ANCC recently sent informational correspondence to providers that gave guidance to converting live education to virtual activities. Below are some tips and expectations provided by the ANCC to assist in this conversion process:
Fully planned live activities:
- If an activity has been fully planned for the purpose of live format implementation, but providers would like to transition to virtual, they can proceed with making the format change and ensuring that the change in format will support all adherence to criteria.
- A new activity file is not required; however, in order to document the compliant change, the ANCC does request that providers make a note in the activity file indicating that they’ve reviewed the evidence and have determined that the activity still meets criteria for the new format.
New activities, not yet implemented:
- Providers should follow the planning process, as with any activity, as it is acceptable to shift the format as long as all criteria are met. For transitioning live to virtual, the likely changes will be learner engagement strategies, criteria for completion and evaluation methods.
- As before, it is not necessary to create a new activity file or have two activity files. Per the ANCC, document that the evidence has been reviewed and it was determined that the activity meets the criteria in the new, virtual format.
For more resources for nurses regarding COVID-19, please follow this link, provided by the American Nurses Association. The resource page provides an overview of COVID-19, information on what nurses need to know and much more.
Annual Reporting and Invoice Update
The ANCC’s deadline for 2019 year-end reporting has been extended. The deadline is now May 1, 2020. The required annual report is to be submitted to the (NARS) and must include activity data from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Click here for more information.
ACPE
The ACPE is continuously monitoring the evolution of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. In addition to information tracking, the ACPE is evaluating the pandemic’s potential impact on ACPE-accredited programs, students, CE providers, and accredited technician education and training programs.
In this quarter’s CE Provider e-Update, the ACPE announced that with regard to continuing pharmacy education, they are willing to waive the fees typically associated with cancellations of live activities if providers need to repurpose and/or add different formats of the CE activities due to cancellations.
They also reminded providers of the distinction between live activities and other formats, stating that ACPE defines live CE as “Live interaction between the speaker and audience.”
Additionally, many CE providers are planning and conducting CE activities related to the coronavirus and will need to submit these activities in ACPE’s Provider Web Tool within 14 days of the release date. ACPE will temporarily waive this policy to accommodate the urgency of education related to the coronavirus. When registering these activities, providers should note that “Coronavirus” and “COVID-19” are now as available keywords to consider. Existing keywords that may be used are “Infectious Disease”, “Viral Infections”, “Antivirals”.
Upcoming Activities/Education Opportunities
- CANCELLED: Alliance Industry Summit 2020
May 6-7, 2020, Philadelphia, PA
Read More >> - NOW ONLINE: ACCME 2020 Meeting: Driving Change: Map Your Route to Educational Leadership
May 7-8, 2020, Online
Read More >> - RESCHEDULED: ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference
May 13-15, 2020, West Palm Beach, FL
Read More >> - AAMSE Annual Conference
July 15-17, 2020, Austin, TX
Read More >> - ACCME August 2020 Accreditation Workshop
August 6-7, 2020, Chicago, IL
Read More >> - ACPE CPE 2020 Conference: Commitment to Excellence
September 29-30, 2020, Chicago, IL
Registration Information TBD - ANCC National Magnet Conference and Pathway to Excellence Conference
October 7-9, 2020, Atlanta, GA
Read More >>
