Educational Activities That Serve to Maintain, Develop, Or Increase the Knowledge, Skills

Dear Program Director:

Thank you for your interest in working with USF Health’s Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) to develop a continuing medical education (CME) activity for physicians. Continuing medical education is defined by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) as

"educational activities that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills,

and professional performance and relationships a physician uses to provide services for

patients, the public or the profession. The content of CME is that body of knowledge and

skills generally accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the

discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of healthcare to the public."

If your concept for a CME activity fits within this definition you should proceed with this planning form. If it does not, you should contact the OCPD prior to completing the planning form.

Enclosed is the program packet for a one-time CME activity (live conference, workshop, seminar, web-based or enduring material, i.e. CD-ROM, monograph, etc.). This material contains important information on how to proceed to obtain AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for your program. The OCPD MUST be integrally involved in the design and development of all CME activities that it certifies for category 1 credit. To assure this involvement, information regarding your proposed CME activity must be provided on the enclosed planning document and returned to the OCPD for review prior to the complete development of the program.

Included in the program packet are:

· USF Health Planning Document · Speaker Disclosure Declaration

· Program Management Fact Sheet · Commercial Support Letter of Agreement (CSLOA)

· Sponsorship Statement(s) · Registration Fees, Faculty Honoraria, Expense

· Sample Faculty Correspondence Reimbursement

· Sample Faculty Correspondence · GAP Analysis Worksheet

· Sample Registration Form · Validation of Clinical Content Policy

The planning document must be completed in its entirety by the time the conference occurs. Initially, the sections marked with an asterisk (*) MUST be completed for initial approval. Documentation of any preliminary planning sessions should accompany the form. After review by USF Health’s CPD Advisory Committee, you will be notified regarding certification of your activity for credit and a staff member from the OCPD will be assigned to assist you with the development of the CME activity that is fully compliant with the ACCME criteria.

It is imperative that you carefully review the enclosed program management fact sheet. This documentation outlines USF Health’s OCPD Office's requirements in order to certify CME activities for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

If you have any questions, please contact the OCPD at (800) 852-5362. We look forward to working with you on this educational activity.

Deborah M. Sutherland, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President, USF Health

Associate Dean, College of Medicine

Office of Continuing Professional Development

OFFICE OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Program Management Fact Sheet

CME ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION CRITERIA:

A CME activity can be certified for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™ if it is sponsored by an institution or organization accredited by the ACCME to provide CME activities for physicians. The activity must meet or exceed the following criteria:

· It is based on a demonstrated educational gap (substantiated by a needs assessment) and is designed to bridge the identified gap in knowledge, performance or practice.

· The educational objectives for the activity are stated and demonstrate a link to the gap.

· The content is appropriate for the specified objectives.

· The teaching/learning methodologies and format are suitable for the learning activity and adult learners.

· Outcome measurement and evaluation mechanisms are determined to assess the quality of the activity, the effectiveness of the learning activity and how well the objectives are met.

· There is documentation of the physicians’ participation (sign-in roster).

· The CME activity is fair balanced and evidence-based, as well as free of commercial bias

PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT(S) / BROCHURE(S):

The front cover of all announcement(s)/brochure(s) promoting continuing medical education for physicians must include the following sponsorship statement:

Sponsored by USF Health

For jointly sponsored and cosponsored activities there are several choices for the sponsorship statement (see attachment 1). If a logo from the non-accredited sponsor or other accredited sponsor is used then the USF Health logo must also be used. (Logos can be found on the right hand side of the web page located at http://www.hsc.usf.edu/.)

In addition, brochures/informational flyers must include the following elements:

The ACCME Accreditation and AMA/PRA Credit™ Designation Statement (word for word):

For USF Sponsored CME Activities:

USF Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

USF Health designates this ______activity for a maximum of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

For Jointly Sponsored CME Activities:

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of USF Health and (insert name of non-accredited sponsor). USF Health is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

For Cosponsored Programs:

USF Health is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

· Title of Activity

· Type of Activity

· Date

· Time

· Location

· Target Audience and, if applicable, prerequisite knowledge or skill

· Course Description

· Learning Objectives (what the participant will learn as a result of attending the event and linked to gap analysis)

· Registration Fee (if applicable) and Registration Panel

· Commercial Support Acknowledgment (if applicable) (Not Exhibitors)

· Cancellation Statement: “The OCPD at USF Health reserves the right to cancel this activity due to unforeseen circumstances. In the event of such cancellation, the full enrollment fee will be returned to the registrant.”

(This is for the protection of the University and the Program Director in the event of necessary cancellation.)

· ADA Statement: “Accommodations for Disabilities: Please notify the OCPD, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC Box 46, Tampa, Florida, 33612 or call (813) 974-4296 a minimum of ten working days in advance of the event if a reasonable accommodation for a disability is needed.”

· Equal Opportunity Statement: “Events, activities, programs and facilities of the University of South Florida are available to all without regard to race, color, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, age, Vietnam or disabled veteran status as provided by law and in accordance with the university’s respect for personal dignity.”

· Refund Policy: Identify any administrative charges that will apply should a participant cancel his/her registration prior to the activity.

Under no circumstances should any promotional material and/or programs be distributed indicating that the program has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™ prior to official written notification from the USF Health’s OCPD. For example, promotional materials may not contain phrases such as “Category 1 credit applied for” or “credit pending” or any other statements relative to CME credit or the awarding thereof.

Recommended Content for Brochures:

· Gap analysis or needs assessment data

· Faculty Disclosure Statement as follows: USF Health adheres to the ACCME Standards regarding commercial support of continuing medical education. It is the policy of USF Health that the faculty and planning committee disclose real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational activity, that relevant conflict(s) of interest are resolved, and also that speakers will disclose any unlabeled/unapproved use of drugs(s) or devices(s) during their presentation. Detailed disclosure will be made in the course syllabus.

· Agenda

· Faculty

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:

ACCME guidelines require that the accredited sponsor maintain financial oversight for all programs that it certifies for credit. All registration fees, commercial support and other program funds (i.e. exhibitor fees) must be deposited with the OCPD in a specific Health Professions Conferencing Corporation (HPCC) account designated for your activity. Funds will be disbursed from the account, by the OCPD, at the direction of the program director or designee. Original receipts must accompany all requests for payment. All checks for deposit must be made payable to “USF HPCC."

After a CME activity has been completed, all outstanding accounts will be satisfied and the remaining fund balance transferred as authorized by the Letter of Agreement.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT:

Whenever commercial support is provided for a CME activity, the OCPD must execute a commercial support letter of agreement between USF Health and the commercial supporter. For jointly sponsored programs, the letter of agreement must be between the accredited sponsor (USF Health) and the commercial supporter (not the non-accredited sponsor and the commercial supporter).

You must contact the OCPD once you confirm commercial support to allow time to generate the letter of agreement and process the educational grant. All checks for commercial support for CME activities must be made payable to “USF HPCC," tax ID number 16-1765073.

ACCME Standards for Commercial Support require:

i) No commercial promotional materials be displayed or distributed in the same room immediately before, during or after the educational activity.

ii) Representatives of commercial companies not engage in sales activities while in the room where the CME activity takes place.

iii) Commercial support be acknowledged in printed announcements and brochures and no reference be made to specific products (commercial supporters are not called “sponsors”).

iv) Hospitality, travel arrangements, and honoraria must be handled by the OCPD (or their designee), not by representatives of commercial companies.

v) There is no review of course materials by the commercial interest.

FACULTY DISCLOSURE:

As an ACCME and ANCC accredited provider, USF Health must ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all its directly or jointly sponsored educational activities. Therefore, any person who is in a position to influence or control the content of a CME activity must disclose any financial interest or other relationship with a commercial interest producing healthcare goods or services that has a direct bearing on the subject matter of the CME activity. A relevant financial interest or other relationship may include such things as grants or research support, employee, consultant, major stockholder, member of speaker’s bureau, etc. that has occurred for any dollar amount over the past 12 months. The intent of disclosure is not to prevent a speaker with a relevant financial or other relationship from making a presentation, but rather to resolve any conflicts prior to the CME activity so the learner may participate in a balanced, unbiased CME event.

SIGN-IN ROSTERS:

Attendance must be taken daily and original sign-in rosters (which include name, title, address, & e-mail address) submitted to the OCPD for the CME file.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATIONS:

The ACCME requires the accredited sponsor to evaluate how well the program objectives were met; the quality of the speakers; if the program was free of commercial bias; the perceived impact the program will have on a physician’s medical practice and the change in physician competence, performance or patient outcomes.,

The OCPD has a standard evaluation form, which is recommended. The standard evaluation form will be prepared, tabulated and summarized by the OCPD. If you elect to use a different evaluation form, prior approval of the OCPD must be obtained. You will be responsible for summarizing the evaluation and submitting the summary to the OCPD. USF Health’s evaluation form is mandatory for all jointly sponsored programs.

CERTIFICATES OF COMPLETION:

A certificate of completion will be provided to the participants by the OCPD at the end of the activity. Only the USF OCPD certificate may be issued for CME activities sponsored by USF Health.

ON-SITE POLICY:

A staff member from the OCPD must attend every activity certified for credit by USF Health to assure adherence to the ACCME Essentials, Guidelines and Standards. The OCPD representative will act as a resource regarding the ACCME Guidelines and OCPD policy, and be available to assist the program director as needed. A daily on-site fee, plus expenses, are charged for this service.

PROGRAM REVIEW FORM:

Following review and approval of the application by USF Health’s CPD Advisory Committee, a CME Program Review Form will be forwarded to you outlining the documents that the course director must supply to the OCPD at the completion of the CME activity. These documents are required for all sponsored and jointly sponsored activities. A staff member from USF Health’s OCPD will be assigned to assist you with the planning of your CME activity.

LETTER OF AGREEMENT:

Following review and approval of the application by the CPD Advisory Committee a letter of agreement (LOA) is generated between the OCPD and the internal College of Medicine (COM) department/division or in the case of jointly sponsored programs with the non-accredited entity. The LOA outlines the program, administrative, and financial responsibilities of each group and identifies profit disbursement following the completion of the CME activity. Profit disbursement must be clearly identified in the LOA to avoid delay in transferring funds from HPCC to a COM department or non-accredited entity following program completion.

OFFICE OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (OCPD)

PLANNING DOCUMENT

OCPD Use Only: Directly Sponsored Jointly Sponsored

(Please Print or Type)

Program Code & Division:

PROPOSED ACTIVITY[*]

Title:
Date: / Location:

Type of Activity (Check all that apply):

One-Time Live Activity / Journal-Based CME
Performance Improvement Activity / Internet Point-of-Care Learning
Enduring Material Start Date: Expiration Date:
Repeating Live Activity (List all dates and locations below)
Dates / City & State / Facility

APPLICANT INFORMATION[*]

Collaborative Partners: