CME Validation of CME Content Policy

Responsible Unit: CME | Executive lead: Provost 
Created: 5/6/2015 | Reviewed/Revised: 9/27/23 | Effective: 9/27/23 
Compliance: AOA, WSMA, ACCME, COCA 10.1 
Approving Body: PPC | Classification: Institution-Wide 

Policy:
Accredited CME and/or CE is accountable to the public for presenting clinical content that supports safe, effective patient care. Clinical content validation is designed to ensure that patient care recommendations made during PNWU’s accredited CME and/or CE activities are accurate, reliable, and based on scientific evidence. Clinical care recommendations must be supported by data or information accepted within the profession of medicine and basic healthcare sciences.

  1. The PNWU Office of CME must review the planned content of an accredited CME and/or CE activity certified by PNWU and demonstrate, in documentation, the base of evidence that determines that any recommendations, treatments, and manners of practicing medicine promulgated in CME and/or CE activities are efficacious in the care of patients. One or more standards by which to judge the validity of content are as follows:
    1. FDA approval of pharmaceuticals or medical devices.
    2. Identification and documentation of a legislative or legal obligation for physicians and/or healthcare professionals to practice medicine incorporating the content.
    3. The content is defined in licensure or certification requirements, as appropriate to the target audience, with organizations such as;  the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, American Osteopathic Association Specialty Certifying Boards, the American Board of Medical Specialties,  Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
    4. The validity and scientific integrity of the content of the CME and/or CE activity is verified by reference to scientific evidence from a source generally accepted as valid by the profession and must be based on conclusion or inferences about the evidence that are accepted in the general medical community as valid and sound.
  1. The content or format of a CME and/or CE activity, or its related materials, must promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest. 
  2. Presentations must give a balanced view of therapeutic options. Use of generic names will contribute to this impartiality. If the CME and/or CE educational material or content includes trade names, where available, trade names from several companies should be used, not just trade names from a single company.
  3. The PNWU Office of CME will not provide CME and/or CE credit in the following instances:
    1. Content of activity is not within the definition of CME and/or CE (see above).
    2. Content of activity is known to have risks or danger that outweigh benefits.
    3. Content of activity is known to be ineffective.
  4. Content must be revised and approved through the PNWU Office of CME before the activity date.

Definitions:  
CME: Continuing medical education consists of educational activities that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is the body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of healthcare to the public. 
 
CE: Continuing education consists of educational activities, which serve to maintain, develop or increase the knowledge, skills and professional performance, and relationships that a healthcare professional uses to provide services for patients, the public or the profession. The content of CE is that body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic healthcare sciences, the discipline of healthcare, and the provision of health care to the public. 

Procedure:  
CME Content Validation Procedure 

1. Faculty will be advised of content requirements once they are confirmed as presenters, planners, authors, or a contributors of CME and/or CE content.  

2. The course chair will be responsible for review and certification of each presentation in a CME and/or CE activity under his or her direction.  

3. A Content Certification Form will be prepared for each presentation that documents the source of evidence that confirms validity. This form will be signed by the course chair leading the activity.  

4. The CME Director will give a final approval, indicating that the content is deemed valid and within the criteria as stated in this policy. The signed and dated Content Certification Form will be maintained with the Activity Planning Document.  

5. Evidence of valid content will be placed in the activity files under Planning and Needs 

Related Documents: 
N/A 

Policy Resources

For assistance with policies and procedures contact:

Lori Fulton
lfulton@pnwu.edu