The document discusses a proposal to implement online continuing medical education (CME) programs at Hospital Medical Center. It notes that an online approach could help address constraints like busy schedules that limit healthcare professionals' ability to attend live activities. The Center for Continuing Professional Development is accredited to provide various learning formats and activities for CME credits. The proposal recommends fully implementing an online CME program to improve accessibility, integration, and communication throughout the healthcare system.

1. Hospital Medical Center
Center for Continuing Professional Development
Evette L. Moss, Conference and CME Planner
June 5, 2013

2. Introduction
 The Georgia Virtual Technical College (GVTC) is a
consortium of independent technical colleges working in a
collaborative manner to create occupational courses and
programs, using a standardized curriculum delivered over
the Internet and through local centers.
 Our Mission
 The mission of the Georgia Virtual Technical College
(GVTC) is to provide students with a central point of
reference for programs and support services offered
electronically through its state system of technical colleges.

3. Mission
The culture at Hospital Medical Center is innovation, technology, and
customer satisfaction. The Center for Continuing Professional
Development should support this culture.
According to Pullen (2013)
Over the course of medical education numerous technologies and
methods have been used to deliver continuing medical education
(CME) to health care professionals (HCPs). These methods have
included postal correspondence, two-way radio conferencing, video
conferencing and in the last decade the Internet (p. 1).

4. Accreditation
The Center for Continuing Professional Development is accredited bye
the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education and
provides continuing medical education programs in the following
learning formats as outlined by the American Medical Association,
Accreditation Council for Continuing Education.

5. Accreditation Continued
Learning Activities
 Course
 Regularly Scheduled Series
 Internet Live Course
 Internet Activity
 Manuscript Review
 Test Item Writing
 Committee Learning
 Performance Improvement
 Learning from Teaching
(ACCME, 2013)
Learning Formats
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™:
 Live activities
 Enduring materials
 Journal-based CME
 Test item writing
 Manuscript review (for journals)
 Performance improvement CME
 Internet point of care
AMA (2013)

6. Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to assist the colleges in
delivering online credit-based programs and courses that
adhere to the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG)
program standards, accrediting agencies’ distance learning
policies and the Georgia Virtual Technical College’s (GVTC)
Best Practices for Online Courses.

7. Quality Assurance Rationale
 Quality assurance of distance learning courses is essential
on three (3) levels:
 1. Institutional Level. To advance and protect the
reputation of the educational institution in attracting
students, qualified faculty members, and collaboratives
with business and industry.
 2. Student Level. To assure the student that his/her
credential is recognized by prospective employers and is
relevant in today’s workforce.
 3. Faculty Level. To provide training, resources, and
technical support for the development of new online
courses and the maintenance of on-going online courses.

8. Procedure
 INSTRUCTOR TRAINING – The instructor is trained in distance learning methodology to
include the learning management system and related software either by the GVTC certified
trainer or a certified trainer in the instructor’s consortium area.
 2. COURSE DEVELOPMENT– Initial submission for approval is requested with the Course
Development Request form (Section 2). After the course is approved for development, an
Online Course Institutional Review Process form (Section 3 – Area 1) is started and the course
is developed based on the Best Practices Course Development Guide (Section 4).
 3. PEER REVIEW – The course is then submitted for approval for delivery. The course is
reviewed utilizing the Best Practices Course Development Guide (Section 4) by peers. The
Online Course Institutional Review Process (Section 3 – Areas 2, 3 and Signatures Area) is
completed. The course is not approved for online delivery unless the Online Course
Institutional Review Process has the Vice President of Academic Affairs’ signature.
 4. COURSE EVALUATION – During initial delivery of the course, the following items are used
for evaluation: GVTC Student Satisfaction Survey (Section 5), Online/Hybrid Course Survey
(Section 6), Online/Hybrid Instructor Evaluation (Section 7), and Instructor Self-Review
(Section 8).
 © 2008, Georgia Virtual Technical College [- 3 -]
 5. PERIODIC REVIEW – Periodic reviews are scheduled utilizing the Best Practices Course
Development Guide (Section 4).

9. Overview cont.
To show that we value our Healthcare Professionals, Hospital Medical
Center must respond to the demand to implement online, system-
wide CME programs
Currently, there are a number of learning formats and activities
Hospital Medicine Center provides for learners. However, online,
asynchronous program are not offered regularly.
After extensive review and research, the Center for Continuing
Professional Development proposes full implementation of an online
CME program. Although there are a number of learning options as
defined by the AMA and ACCME, online options are frequently
requested by our learners.

10. Needs Assessment
 Constraints
 Accessibility
 Integration

11. Constraints
Long hours and busy schedules limit the ability of healthcare
professionals to attend face to face or live activities. Asynchronous
options are ideal (Pullen, 2013).
 Decreased attendance for live programs
 Patient Care trumps CME program
 Commuting to/from other locations to Hospital

12. Accessibility
“Internet based technologies permit the widespread distribution of
digital content to many users simultaneously anytime and anywhere”
(Pullen, 2013, p. 1).
 HCPs may access from home
 Office practice/site locations
 Asynchronous collaboration

13. Integration
Better communication throughout the healthcare system
 Opportunity to share best practices
 Reduce variation between hospital sites
 Improve collaboration between similar specialties
throughout sites

14. References
 Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (2013):
http://www.accme.org/
 American Medical Association (2013): http://www.ama-
assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/continuing-medical-
education.page
 Pullen, D. (2013). Doctors online: Learning using an internet
based content management system. International Journal of
Education and Development using Information and
Communication Technology, 9(1), 50-63. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1353086409?accountid=
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