Accredit Your Activity

Instructions for Completing the CME Application

• ACCME Compliance

  The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has strict rules and guidelines for accrediting CME activities. As an accredited provider, ACOG is required to maintain strict compliance with the ACCME accreditation requirements and policies. Requirements are outlined in the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support.

  It is the responsibility of the ACOG CME Office to ensure that all ACOG CME activities are in compliance. Failure to comply with the ACCME requirements and policies not jeopardizes accreditation for individual programs, but also puts ACOG in jeopardy of losing its accreditation status as an ACCME accredited provider. Due to these severe consequences, ACOG is committed to ensuring that CME activities meet the ACCME compliance requirements.

• Planning Process

  Content must be in line with the ACOG CME Mission Statement and address competence, performance, and/or patient outcomes. The planning documentation must explain how content/topics were selected. As an important reminder, employees of a pharmaceutical company and/or medical device manufacturer CANNOT be involved with the identification of speakers and/or topics.

• Needs Assessment

  Needs assessment is the systematic approach to collecting and analyzing information about the educational needs of individuals and/or organizations.

  Below are questions to consider as you begin the process of collecting and analyzing information:

  • What sources confirm this need?
  • Does the difference between the current practice and the desired practice represent a gap in knowledge, competence, and/or performance?
  • What is the performance/practice desired from the target group?
  • Will the CME activity improve practice?

   

• Evaluations

  All CME activities must be evaluated. Evaluations provide vital feedback for improving the quality of CME activities, planning future activities, assessing the educational impact, and measuring changes in practice.

• Application Deadlines

  Please submit complete applications with all attachments. Incomplete applications will be delayed for approval. All CME applications must be received four months prior to the start of the activity. Approval may take up to three weeks. All applications are subject to denial.

  The following items must be submitted with the application:

  • Supporting documentation (articles/data) for identified practice gaps
  • Planning committee and speaker names with contact information
  • Preliminary program agenda
  • Save-the-date announcements
  • Exhibitor information (as much as possible)
  • Commercial supporter information (as much as possible)
  • Any marketing information (please note that marketing materials cannot be printed before the ACOG CME Team has reviewed and approved both the CME application and all marketing materials)

  A staff member from the Department of Continuing Professional Development will review the CME application for all necessary material. Once all initial material has been reviewed, staff will determine the amount of credits to be granted and forward it to a member of the Committee on Continuing Medical Education (CCME) for final review and approval. The CCME Representative will review the application and inform staff of any recommended changes to the program or affirm the credits. If any edits are recommended, the application will be sent back to the applicant to make necessary changes. Upon final approval, staff will inform the applicant in the form of an Application Approval Letter. The letter will indicate the number of credits designated for the activity. It will also contain a packet of information with the following:

  • Guidelines
  • CME Disclosure Memo
  • Commercial Supporter and Exhibitor information forms (if applicable)
  • Attendance certificate
  • Verbal Disclosure Verification form
  • Post-Meeting Materials list
  • Post-Meeting Survey Form
• Disclosures

  The Disclosures and agreement for educational activities form must be completed for each planning committee member, course director, moderator, and speakers. You can complete the form online.

  The form must be updated annually or more often if relationships change. Disclosures for all faculty must be submitted no later than three months prior to the start date of the activity. All conflicts of interest must be identified and resolved prior to the presentation.

• Frequently Asked Questions

  Can a paper application still be submitted? 

  All Educational Partners must use the online application.

  Can the Educational Partner print the online application?

  There is a print option once the application is completed.

  Can you cut and paste into the fields on the online application?

  Yes, you can cut and paste. You can also attach required documents.

  Can you skip fields on the application?

  All fields must be completed in order to submit the online application. The online application will direct  you to those fields missing information when you try to hit submit.

  Can the Educational Partner submit part of the application while still collecting documents in order to meet the 4 month deadline?

  The online application can only be submitted once it has been completed in its entirety.

  What happens after the application has been submitted online?

  The Educational Partner will receive an email notification that the application has been submitted.  A staff member will review the application to ensure everything has been completed and all  attachments are there. The staff member will then forward the application to the CCME representative in charge of
  that program. The CCME rep will then notify the staff member when the program has been approved. All this will be done through the online application system. The approval packet will be submitted to the Educational Partner via email.

  If my Section has 3 programs per year, would the application fee be $300 per program?

  No, the $300 application fee is an annual fee. The Section would pay the onetime application fee of $300 but will be charged post meeting fees for each program. 

  Once the online application has been completed and submitted can an Educational Partner go back into the application to revise or add new information?

  No, the application will not be available for updates. You can email those updates to the staff member working on your program.

  Can an Educational Partner attach the faculty list to the online application?

  No, you must add each faculty member to the application.

  Can an Educational Partner submit post meeting materials through the online application process?

  Yes, the Educational Partner can log into their submitted application and go to the post meeting tab and submit those materials.