Welcome to AOE’s first 2024 edition of AOE Compliance Connection, our monthly newsletter. This month, we bring you news from each of the major accreditation boards, ACCME, ACPE, and ANCC, along with a new series focused on ACCME Accreditation with Commendation – each month, we’ll feature an especially tricky commendation criteria and some guidance on how to achieve compliance with each. Additionally, we’ll update you on the latest features in PARS related to MOC activities.
As your organization dives into 2024, follow us on social media for weekly compliance tips and other timely updates. All of us at AOE extend a very warm “Happy New Year!” to you and your team!
ACCME: MOC & PARS
There is a lot happening in the world of MOC! We have updates to share with you in regard to reporting learner credit in PARS and welcoming two new boards to the MOC collaboration.
Learner Credit
One of the results of last year’s provider survey was that, across the board, providers asked for assistance in decreasing the administrative load in learner credit reporting. Subsequently, the ACCME created a new PARS feature specifically to help providers already reporting Maintenance of Certification/Continuing Certification (MOC/CC) credits for learners. (Those providers who are only reporting CME credits will not experience a process change.)
ACCME will now perform a “credit match” – they will create a CME credit that corresponds to the MOC/CC credit providers create. This means that providers can save time by not having to report the CME credit. When physician learners create their CME Passport profile, they’ll see the credit as both MOC/CC and CME for their state licensing board.
New Collaborations
Two additional boards have joined the CME for MOC Collaboration: the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). This will allow for digital reporting of CME and MOC/CC credits for thoracic and orthopaedic surgeons. Providers who are part of collaborating boards can and should:
- Read or review the CME for MOC Program Guide
- Log in to PARS to register upcoming educational initiatives that meet ABTS or ABOS requirements
- Report the credits that learners are issued into the system
- Attend a free ACCME training session regarding MOC/CC reporting
CE Community: Accreditation Board Bulletin
We love to keep you up to date! Here are a few updates and CE community news items for the three major accreditation boards, ACCME, ANCC and ACPE.
ACCME
ACCME President and CEO, Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, recorded a new podcast episode featuring artificial intelligence in healthcare. McMahon joined Dr. Peter Clardy and Dr. Paul Jhun from Google to discuss the increase of AI and its possibilities in the world of medicine and medical providers. You can listen to the full podcast by clicking here.
ANCC
The ANCC is in the process of updating the Nursing Activity Reporting System (NARS). With a scheduled launch date of May 2024, users will find the new NARS to have improved usability, more modern technology, and a more current interface.
Until that time, providers may proceed with 2023 year-end reporting (and adhere to the deadline of April 1, 2024 for the reporting of 2023 activities). Until further notice, the ANCC is asking providers not to enter 2024 activities at this time. Any 2024 activities that have been entered will need to be re-entered once the new system launches in May; providers can just plan to enter them after the new system has launched. The ANCC will send out more detailed information over the next few weeks!
ACPE
Throughout 2023, the ACPE conducted a second survey focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Feedback was gathered from ACPE-accredited providers and included topics like best practices for providers to support and facilitate incorporating DEI into CE and strategies for the ACPE to better support CE providers with DEI initiatives. In 2023, the most common step taken by providers to advance DEI was to “engage pharmacists and/or pharmacy technicians in DEI discussions”.
Per the ACPE, three category themes emerged:
- Best Practices (CE Programming, DEI Strategies, Organizational DEI Strategies)
- DEI Goals (Mission Statement and DEI Strategic Plan, Developing CE, CPE Committee and Task Force, and Faculty Development and Guidance)
- ACPE Support (Sharing Best Practices and Training and Technical Support)
ACPE is currently updating the available DEI resources on the website.
AOE Spotlight on Commendation: Promotes Team-Based Education
During accreditation and reaccreditation processes, AOE has assisted many providers in going above and beyond and demonstrating compliance not only with the Core Accreditation Criteria, but also with the Commendation Criteria set forth by the ACCME. All CE providers have the option to seek commendation (a six-year term) and become eligible for this status by compliance with Core Accreditation Criteria and any seven criteria of their choice from any category of the Menu of Commendation Criteria plus one criterion from the Achieves Outcomes category (a total of eight criteria).
Over the next several months, we’re going to take a deep-dive into each of the five categories to highlight specific criteria that historically are most likely to trip up providers during the accreditation process.
This month we’ll begin with Criterion 23.
Criterion 23: Members of interprofessional teams are engaged in the planning and delivery of interprofessional continuing education (IPCE).
IPCE is planned by the team for the team. IPCE is not just about designing education for physicians primarily and including nurses, pharmacists and/or other healthcare professionals when applicable, but is truly about approaching education from a team-based view. It’s important to note that the ACCME’s definition of interprofessional is different learner types – physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists etc. and not different physician types such as cardiologist, oncologist, internist, etc.: “IPCE occurs when members from two or more professions learn with, from, and about each other to enable effective interprofessional collaborative practice and improve health outcomes”. IPCE is different than multidisciplinary education. In a recent FAQ, the ACCME has clarified that healthcare administrators do count as interprofessional planners and teachers for this criterion.
The professional practice gap(s) and corresponding educational need(s) for IPCE activities should be measured from the standpoint of a healthcare team consisting of two or more professions. To demonstrate compliance with this criterion, a provider must have planners and faculty who are members of the interprofessional target audience. In other words, if physicians and nurses are the target audience, they should be represented as activity planners and presenters. Additionally, activities should be designed to change competence and/or performance of the healthcare team.
How can providers demonstrate compliance with C23?
From the outset, the common denominator across all three criteria in this category is that a provider must attest to meeting the criterion with at least 10% of activities (but no less than two) during the accreditation term and provide evidence of specific examples based on program size (Small: 2; Medium: 4; Large: 6; Extra-Large: 8).
The ACCME has posted many examples of compliance and non-compliance which are helpful to providers aiming to design a program worthy of commendation. A few examples are below:
Compliance:
- Nurses, obstetrics and gynecology health care administrators, physicians, and advanced practice providers worked together to plan AND implement team training to entire labor and delivery team.
- A physician, registered nurse, and quality department coordinator planned a live activity showcasing various ideas in reducing readmissions. Presenting faculty included a registered nurse, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, and a social worker.
Non-Compliance:
- An activity included planners from more than one profession (compliant), they were designed to change competence and performance of the entire health team (compliant), but their presenting faculty was from just one profession (non-compliant).
- A board review for physicians that was created by members of multiple professions (compliant) but was not designed to change the competence and/or performance of the entire healthcare team (non-compliant).
The ACCME has a number of additional resources available on their website, as well. If you are interested in training and/or strategic planning as related to the Menu of Criteria for Accreditation with Commendation, please contact AOE at inquire@aoeconsulting.com.
Upcoming Events
- MAACME Webinar: Best Practices in the Management of RSS
January 18, 2024, Virtual
Read More >> - Alliance 2024 Annual Conference
February 5-8, 2024, New Orleans, LA
Read More >> - NCPD Accreditation 101 Workshop
February 13, 2024, Virtual
Read More >> - NCPD Accredited Provider Workshop
February 15, 2024, Virtual
Read More >> - Learn to Thrive 2024: ACCME’s Annual Meeting
May 14-16, 2024, Chicago, IL
Read More >>
