This document provides an overview of improving the activity planning process to align with ACCME accreditation criteria. It discusses key criteria such as identifying practice gaps, learning objectives, desired outcomes, and strategies to address barriers. The presentation provides examples of how to document each criteria in a planning document to demonstrate compliance during the accreditation survey process. It emphasizes using the planning process as an opportunity to continually improve the CME program.

1. Activity Planning:
Improving the
Process to Align
with Accreditation
Criteria
Beth Brillinger, CCMEP
Director of Accreditation
March 20, 2014

2. Education
with Integrity.
Beth Brillinger, CCMEP
l An ACCME accredited provider's perspective
l Director of Accreditation at CME Outfitters
l 18 years in CME
l Academic perspective
– Abington Memorial Hospital
– Jefferson Medical College
l Medical Education Companies
(All ACCME Accredited)
– Vox Medica (ICHE)
– The FCG Institute for Medical Education
– DIME
l CME Outfitters, LLC achieved AwC for last two cycles
l Multiple joint sponsor activities

3. Education
with Integrity.
Excellent Resources
l ACCME Examples of Compliance and
Noncompliance
l Accreditation Requirements and
Descriptions of the ACCME
– Updated 2/25/14 with new Simplification
l ACCME.org – search box upper right

4. Education
with Integrity.
CME Planning Document Process
l Addresses Criteria 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18,
and 19
l Use the planning doc to
– Document a systematic planning process
for each of your CME activities
– document compliance with criteria during
survey

5. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 2
l The provider incorporates into CME
activities the educational needs
(knowledge, competence, or performance)
that underlie the professional practice gaps
of their own learners.
l When found to be noncompliant,
description states, “ACCME could not find
evidence that a professional practice gap
was identified.”

6. Education
with Integrity.
C2: How Practice Gaps are
Identified

7. Education
with Integrity.
C2: How the Needs that Underlie
Practice Gaps are Identified

8. Education
with Integrity.
C2: Statement of Need is Developed

9. Education
with Integrity.
C2: Application of Gaps to Content

10. Education
with Integrity.
Knowledge, Competence, and Performance
Needs/Gaps are Incorporated into the Activity
with Learning Objectives

11. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 3
l The provider generates activities/
educational interventions that are designed
to change competence, performance, or
patient outcomes as described in its
mission statement.
l Implementing Criterion 2 – provider
attempts to change a physician’s
competence, performance, or patient
outcomes

12. Education
with Integrity.
C3 (and C2): Planners Indicate What
Changes the Content is Anticipating

13. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 5
l The provider chooses educational formats
for activities/interventions that are
appropriate for the setting, objectives, and
desired results of the activity.
l Why was a format (didactic, interactive,
small group) chosen?
l Will the format help to change competence,
performance, and/or patient outcomes?

14. Education
with Integrity.
C5

15. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 6
l The provider develops activities/
educational interventions in the
context of desirable physician
attributes [eg, Institute of Medicine
(IOM) competencies, Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME) Competencies].

16. Education
with Integrity.
C6: (cont’d)
l What are desirable physician
attributes?
– Institute of Medicine (IOM) Core
Competencies
– Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education (AGCME) Core
Competencies

17. Education
with Integrity.
C6: (cont’d)
l “In the context of desirable physician
attributes” – Providers must show that
there is active recognition of desirable
physician attributes in the planning
process.

18. Education
with Integrity.
C6: Physician Competencies &
Attributes

19. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 17
l The provider utilizes non-education
strategies to enhance change as an
adjunct to its activities/educational
interventions (e.g., reminders, patient
feedback).
l Specifically, my example will use the
strategy “reminders as tools to
enhance, or facilitate, change”

20. Education
with Integrity.
C17: Non-Educational Strategies

21. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 18
l The provider identifies factors outside
the provider's control that impact on
patient outcomes.
l In our document, planners identify
factors outside of their control that
may have an impact on patient
outcomes

22. Education
with Integrity.
C18: Identify Barriers

23. Education
with Integrity.
C18: Identify Patient Safety Issue

24. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 19
l The provider implements educational
strategies to remove, overcome or
address barriers to physician change.

25. Education
with Integrity.
C19: How will barriers be
addressed?

26. Education
with Integrity.
C19: How will patient safety
considerations be discussed?

27. Education
with Integrity.
Example of What these Sections
Look Like for an Activity

28. Education
with Integrity.

29. Education
with Integrity.

30. Education
with Integrity.

31. Education
with Integrity.

32. Education
with Integrity.

33. Education
with Integrity.

34. Education
with Integrity.

35. Education
with Integrity.

36. Education
with Integrity.

37. Education
with Integrity.
Criterion 13
l The provider identifies, plans and
implements the needed or desired
changes in the overall program (eg,
planners, teachers, infrastructure,
methods, resources, facilities,
interventions) that are required to
improve on ability to meet the CME
mission.

38. Education
with Integrity.
C13: (cont’d)
l What needs to change? The planning
process and how it is documented
l You are here, if you learn anything
new, implement it, and you have
changed your program with an
improvement to your process

39. Education
with Integrity.
C13: (cont’d)
l Just by viewing this presentation –
right now! – you may have identified a
practice gap and determined that you
can improve your performance as a
provider.
l You may decide to make a change in
your overall program such as
developing a new method…

40. Education
with Integrity.
C13: (cont’d)
l Like using a planning document to
capture several accreditation criteria
planning steps
l And improving your program planning
process

41. Education
with Integrity.
Beth Brillinger, CCMEP
l bbrillinger@cmeoutfitters.com
l 614-328-4523