CME activities must be grounded in a needs assessment, which identifies the specific needs of the target audience for acquiring new knowledge. This assessment ensures that the content of the conference addresses these needs and motivates learners to participate.

Determining the Needs Assessment

A needs assessment involves identifying why the learners need the information and why they should engage with the activity. This can be achieved through various methods, including:

• Surveys and Prior Activity Evaluations: Gathering feedback from previous events and surveys to identify gaps in knowledge or areas of interest.
• Discovery of New Treatments or Therapies: Identifying emerging developments in the field that require updating professionals on new practices.
• Public Health Data, Chart Audits, and Current Events: Analyzing health data, clinical records, and recent events to pinpoint areas requiring further education.
• Self-Assessment: Using tools that allow professionals to evaluate their own knowledge gaps and learning needs.
• Government Mandates and Specialty Society Guidelines: Adhering to guidelines or mandates that highlight specific educational requirements.

Please detail how you conducted your needs assessment and how it informed the content of your conference. Simply stating that there is a general need for CME is insufficient; a detailed needs assessment provides a clear rationale for why the activity is relevant and necessary for the learners.

Based on the needs assessment, a set of clear, measurable, and learner-oriented objectives should be compiled to outline what participants are expected to learn from the conference. Effective learning objectives should focus on what participants should be able to do by the end of the session, using specific and measurable behavioral verbs. Avoid general verbs such as understand, appreciate, know, become, and learn.

Learning Objectives Should Be:

• Clear: Objectives should be straightforward and easy to understand.
• Measurable: Objectives should include criteria to assess whether they have been achieved.
• Learner-Oriented: Objectives should focus on what the participants will be able to do.

For CME events, participants are typically evaluated in one or two major domains: cognitive (thinking) and psychomotor (doing). Use appropriate verbs to articulate these objectives:

• Cognitive Goals: Define, diagnose, discuss, evaluate, compare, demonstrate, describe, explain, interpret, differentiate, apply, summarize, formulate, contrast, assess, design.
• Psychomotor Goals: Display, manipulate, arrange, perform, create, operate, adapt, write.

Examples of Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to evaluate hip and knee injuries and design an appropriate treatment plan for rehabilitation using new evidence-based medicine.
• Participants will be able to describe the medicinal use of honey from ancient to modern times.
• Participants will be able to interpret thoracic x-rays using a systematic approach.
• Participants will be able to demonstrate the ability to intubate an airway mannequin while maintaining inline immobilization.
• Participants will be able to identify the major causes of hypertension and formulate an appropriate treatment plan for a case scenario.

Include at least 2 or 3 specific learning objectives for each CME event in the accreditation application form.

Target Audience:

Clearly define the specific group(s) who will benefit from the CME activity based on your needs assessment. Consider the following factors:

• Profession: Identify the type of healthcare professionals targeted, such as primary care physicians, urologists, obstetricians-gynecologists, dentists, nurses, etc.
• Experience Level: Determine whether the audience consists of long-practicing professionals or new practitioners.
• Specific Needs: Clarify what specific needs the target audience has that the CME activity will address.

Anticipated Participation:

Provide an estimate of the number of individuals expected to participate in the meeting. This information helps assess the feasibility of meeting your learning objectives given the type of teaching activities planned. For example, a hands-on workshop with 50 participants might not be as effective as intended if the activity is designed for a smaller, more interactive group.

By specifying both the target audience and the anticipated number of participants, you will demonstrate how the CME activity is tailored to meet the needs of the intended learners and how it aligns with the planned educational activities.

Please provide a detailed copy of the planned program for the CME activity, including:

• Times of Sessions: Clearly outline the schedule for all components, such as workshops, lectures, and other activities.
• Teaching Methods: Specify the methods used to teach the material, such as lectures, workshops, hands-on teaching sessions, or other approaches.

Details to Include:

• Schedule of Events: Include start and end times for each session, break times, and any other relevant timings.
• Teaching Methods: Describe the teaching methods for each session, detailing whether they will be lectures, interactive workshops, hands-on sessions, or other formats.
• Alignment with Needs Assessment and Learning Objectives: Ensure that the scheduled activities align with the needs identified in the assessment and the learning objectives established.

The detailed program allows us to evaluate whether the scheduled activities effectively meet the learning objectives and needs of the target audience. It also helps determine the number of CME credit hours to be awarded. If needed, we may request additional clarification regarding the content and structure of the sessions.

Please provide the following details for each speaker involved in the CME activity:

• Names of Speakers: List all individuals who will be presenting at the event.
• Short Summaries of Speakers: Include a brief summary for each speaker, highlighting their credentials and place of employment.

Details to Include:

 

• Credentials: Outline the educational background, professional qualifications, and relevant expertise of each speaker.
• Place of Employment: Specify the current organization or institution where the speaker is employed.

We use this information to assess whether the selected speakers are well-qualified to present on the topics. Additionally, we are interested in understanding the speakers' relationship with industry entities, such as pharmaceutical companies, to ensure they provide unbiased and objective discussions. This assessment helps ensure the credibility and neutrality of the information presented during the CME activity.

We are committed to ensuring that there is no conflict of interest in the development of the CME program. It is essential that sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies or other members of the healthcare industry does not influence the content or delivery of the program.

Sponsorship Details:

• Disclosure of Sponsorship: Clearly state any sponsorship received for the CME activity and identify the sponsoring companies or organizations.
• Role of Sponsorship Companies: Describe the specific role of the sponsoring companies, ensuring that their involvement does not affect the independence and integrity of the program content.

We emphasize the importance of maintaining an arms-length relationship between the sponsoring companies and the content presented. This means that sponsorship should not come with conditions or expectations that could bias the material or the program's objectives. Ensuring transparency and neutrality in program development helps maintain the credibility and educational value of the CME activity.

Design an evaluation form to be completed by participants. It is important to include references to the learning objectives on the evaluation form, such as: “Program objectives were well defined” and “Program objectives were met.” Participants must evaluate both of these points.

The evaluation can take various forms but must be tied to the learning objectives. Some examples of evaluation methods are:

• Questionnaires
• Tests
• Review of patient data
• Focus groups

Evaluations serve the following purposes:

• To determine if the objectives were met
• To identify the activity's strengths and weaknesses for improvement in future events
• To gather insights into the types of programs the audience would like in the future

It is crucial that only individuals who actively participate in the educational sessions receive credit for these activities. For day-long events, there must be a mechanism to award partial credit to account for attendance at specific sessions.

Additionally, please provide a draft of the certificate that participants will receive.

Certificate Guidelines:

Accreditation Statement: The College of Medicine and Health Sciences should not be listed as a sponsor of the meeting. Instead, the certificate should include a statement such as: "This program is accredited for X CME hours by the Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development Committee of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences."

This wording is sufficient to indicate our approval and ensures that the role of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences is clearly defined as providing accreditation rather than sponsorship.

Please indicate whether you have applied to other entities for accreditation of this CME activity. If yes, provide the following information:

• Organizations Contacted: List the names of the organizations to which you have applied for accreditation.
• Reason for Multiple Applications: Explain why you have sought accreditation from multiple organizations. It is typically unnecessary to pursue more than one accreditation, so understanding your reasons for doing so will help us assess the situation.

This information helps us understand the broader context of your accreditation efforts and ensures that the CME activity complies with standard practices.

After the conference, you are required to provide the following information to complete the accreditation process:

• Number of Actual Participants: Report the total number of individuals who attended the conference.

 

• Final Program: Submit a copy of the final program distributed to attendees, including the syllabus and disclosure information.
• Summary of Evaluations: Provide a summary of participant evaluations, including feedback and lessons learned for improving future CME programs.
• Certificate of Attendance: Include a copy of the certificate of attendance issued to participants.
• Additional Feedback (Optional): Submit any additional feedback, such as minutes from a post-conference discussion by the steering committee.

Please ensure that this information is submitted within 30 days of the conference. Failure to provide the required materials within this timeframe may result in the decision to not accredit future CME events for your organization or group.

If there is any other relevant information about the conference that you wish to communicate, please include it here. This is an opportunity to provide any additional details, updates, or context that may be important for the review and accreditation process.

Feel free to share any noteworthy aspects of the conference, such as special achievements, unique features, or feedback from participants that were not covered in the standard submission requirements.