Welcome to the August edition of AOE Compliance Connection, AOE’s monthly newsletter! We always look forward to sharing events, news from the CME/CE enterprise and our monthly board updates (ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC).
As the summer draws to a close, our commitment to Navigating Education Excellence with our partners remains central to our mission. This newsletter is one of many ways that we come alongside and provide guidance on the path to CME/CE compliance success.
We encourage you to visit our website for weekly compliance tips, news updates, a library of guidelines, answers to FAQs and much more. In a spare moment, we invite you to jump in and take a look!
Accreditation Board Bulletin
ACCME: The ACCME released their 2015 Annual Report this past month. The report is comprised of data from 1,900 accredited CME providers across the country. More than 148,000 educational activities were offered in 2015 by CME providers within the ACCME System, totaling more than 1 million hours of instruction.
When compared with 2014, there was a near $200 million decrease in total CME income – a change that can be attributed to modifications in the 2015 income reporting requirements. Noted inconsistencies across income and expense reporting led the ACCME to implement a number of changes in data collection which included no longer requiring accredited providers to report income from parent organizations or internal departments, and replacement of the “Other Income” category with more specific fields such as registration fees, government grants and private donations. CME program expense reporting was eliminated altogether.
Overview of 2015 Stats:
- Total physician and non-physician participation at CME activities increased, physician participation increased by 5%, while non-physician participation showed a slight increase of 0.5% (Note: In 2014, total physician participation had decreased by 1%)
- Total commercial support contributions rose by 2.6% to an estimated $694 million (Note: This has been a steady trend over the past two years as 2014 contributions rose by 2.4%)
- Income from advertising/exhibits rose from $354 million in 2014 to $390 million in 2015, a 9% increase
- Total annual income for CME decreased by $200 million from 2014 to 2015 (Note: In 2015, income from parent organizations and internal departments was not reported)
- Of total attendance at CME activities, 55% of attendees were physicians and 45% were non-physicians
This report shows that accredited CME is evolving constantly to meet the needs of new generations of learners and to address emerging healthcare challenges. The numbers in this report represent our CME providers’ ongoing work and commitment to improving the quality and safety of healthcare in their communities,” said Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, President and CEO, ACCME.
A complete copy of the annual report can be found here.
ACPE: The ACPE’s Provider Web Tool is a database system designed to collect activity-specific information submitted by ACPE-accredited providers, and to connect this information to the Pharmacists’ Learning Assistance Network (P.L.A.N.) and CPE Monitor.
Complete activity information should be entered prior to the launch date of an activity, or charges may be incurred to have the ACPE make updates on the back end. The types of activity description changes, which are subject to a $200 charge, include:
- Credit hour changes
- Title Modifications
- Release/Expiration date
- Type of Activity
- Typos
- Sequence Number
- Topic Designator
- Joint Providership Information
- Adding additional format
- Back-dating activity information
If one of the above changes does need to be made after launch of an activity, it can be done by submitting an online change form.
ANCC: July 1, 2016 was the ANCC’s deadline to upload the Self-Study Package utilizing the new Primary Accreditation Online Review System (PAORS) for those providers slated in the July 2016 Cycle. Currently, appraisers are scheduling virtual visit interviews, which will begin the end of August. Accreditation decisions will be made as interviews are completed, up through January 1, 2017. The November 2016 Cycle is the next accreditation cycle with an upload due date to PAORS of November 1, 2016.
The ANCC’s new online database, PAORS, is just one of several new resources launched in recent months. The ANCC has or will be launching several additional resources for providers, including:
- ACCRED Talks: Web-based videos to provide help in designing high quality learning activities to meet learner needs and compliance with accreditation criteria
- Trainings as to professional practice gaps and learning outcomes
- Strategies on how to engage learners
- Tools on developing speakers to incorporate learner engagement strategies
For additional information on these resources provided by the ANCC, click here.
Service in the Spotlight: Progress Report Management
Management of Progress Reports is among AOE’s key service offerings. Our goal is to assist organizations in understanding cited areas of non-compliance, providing training and guidance as to needed program improvements and assisting with the implementation of improvements to be featured in the narrative write-up and performance-in-practice follow-up. If your organization was recently cited for non-compliance as part of the July 2016 cohort, reach out to AOE today (inquire@aoeconsulting.com) to learn more about the specific ways in which we help organizations move from a place of probation to a restored and compliant position
AOE On-Site at the ACCME’s Bridge to Quality Workshop
AOE Program Manager Sarah Schott attended the ACCME’s Bridge to Quality Workshop in Chicago in early August. Over 200 CME stakeholders attended the two-day workshop.
ACCME President and CEO, Graham McMahon kicked-off the workshop with an engaging session titled “The Strategic Value of Accredited CME as ‘Bridge to Quality™.” McMahon led attendees to explore and address the question: How can we evolve our educational activities from knowledge transfer to creative and social engagement to promote cognitive and skill development?
The remainder of the workshop, attendees took a deep dive into the Accreditation Criteria and Standards for Commercial SupportSM through plenary sessions that incorporated case studies followed by small-group break-outs that allowed participants to ask targeted questions and seek further clarity. Attendees also had the opportunity to attend two elective breakout sessions focused on relevant topics in CME..
The workshop closed with “CME that Counts for MOC” which included guests from the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP), and the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA).
Overall the workshop was well-crafted, both clarified and provided new information, and pushed attendees to think critically and strategically about their respective CME programs.
Upcoming Activities/Education Opportunities
- 2017 SACME Annual Meeting
Call for posters now open! Deadline: Sept. 15
May 17-20, 2017, Scottsdale Arizona
Read More >> - Introductory Workshop: Getting Started with Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education
September 23, 2016, Chicago, IL
Read More >> - ACEHP Quality and Innovation Summit
September 26-28, 2016, Cleveland, OH
Read More >> - ANCC National Magnet Conference
Call for abstracts now open!
October 5-7, 2016, Orlando, FL
Read More >> - Professional Nurse Educators Group (PNEG)
October 20-23, 2016, Columbus, OH
Read More >> - CMSS Patient Reported Outcomes Conference
November 17, 2016, Washington DC
Read More >>
