Accredited MECCs Embrace the Rules and Spirit of CME and Adapt to Achieve Success Compliance Sherri Foster, Senior VP, Director of Medical Education With the spotlight of government and public scrutiny shining brightly on CME in search of undue influence by pharmaceutical companies, accredited medical education and communication companies (MECCs) must protect their own interests and those of their grantors by adhering closely to ACCME guidelines. The ACCME’s recently released accreditation and compliance findings by provider type reinforce that accredited MECCs are providing effective, fully compliant medical education. Now, accredited MECCs are expanding their role as innovators and forces for positive change. Accredited MECCs Rank High in Compliance With ACCME Essential Elements All CME providers are required to abide by the same rules (see table to the upper right), and all CME providers regularly undergo an in-depth self-study and ACCME review of activity files to ensure compliance with those rules. When the ACCME released its accreditation and compliance findings in April 2006, the data showed that the 157 ACCME-accredited MECCs and publishing companies ranked exemplary or compliant 87% to 100% of the time for each essential element and performed at least as well as, and in many cases better than, the other provider types. The lowest ranking for MECCs and publishing companies, 87%, was for compliance in disclosing required information and relationships, yet in that category accredited MECCs and publishing companies ranked 10% to 29% higher than any other provider type measured. And for two very important elements from the Standards for Commercial Support — 3.3B, which dictates that the provider must maintain control of the educational content of the activity, and 3.3C, which requires the provider to ensure separation of promotion and education — accredited MECCs/publishing companies ranked 99% and 100% compliant, respectively (see chart on opposite page). This scorecard reinforces that as an industry, we are doing an excellent job of providing high-impact physician education that links identified educational needs with desired results, and we’re protecting everyone’s interests through high compliance with the ACCME rules. Embracing the Spirit As Well As the Rules Adhering to ACCME guidance involves compliance with its rules, certainly, but embracing its spirit is equally important. To that end, many accredited MECCs have established strong firewalls between their CME and non-CME activities, and some have spun off as entirely independent companies devoted solely to CME. In response to changes in the most recent Standards for Commercial Support, accredited MECCs have helped lead the charge to devise appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and resolving conflicts of interest and to establish fair market value for faculty honoraria. Companies also are pushing ahead with efforts to develop outcome-measurement tools that encourage physicians to apply their learning to their own practices and to implement changes that can ultimately result in enhanced patient care. Today, at most CME industry meetings there is a healthy contingent of accredited-MECC professionals attending and running sessions, asking and answering questions. These professionals live and breathe CME, and take pride in knowing their trade and in operating at the highest levels of competency as both educators and business people. Business Matters, As Does Innovation For all of their CME expertise, to be successful, accredited MECCs must understand business — both their own and that of their commercial supporters. It is important that as education partners they understand the imperative to protect their own and their supporters’ interests by providing compliant CME that addresses real physician education needs in areas of strategic interest to the grantor. It also is important that they continue to seek innovation in delivery of state-of-the-art education in formats that busy physicians can easily access. Competition for CME funds can be fierce, and providers that stand out by exhibiting excellence as educators and commitment to effecting measurable change in physician performance and patient health are most likely to succeed in garnering funds and in meeting their own business goals. Embracing Change Is Key to Future Success As the delivery of physician education in the United States continues to evolve with the coming of maintenance of certification requirements, performance-improvement initiatives, and point-of-care CME, it is important that providers, too, continue to evolve. Given the pace of new discoveries in medicine and the evolution of clinical best practices, as well as the pace of change within the CME industry itself, the need for well-conceived, well-executed CME will continue, and the accredited MECCs that are willing to adapt will continue to help fulfill that need. The CME Provider Must … 1.1 Have a written statement of its CME mission that includes the CME purpose, content areas, target audience, type of activities provided, and expected results of the program 1.2 Demonstrate how the CME mission is congruent with, and supported by, the mission of the parent organization, if a parent organization exists 2.1 Use a planning process(es) that links identified educational needs with a desired result in the provision of all CME activities 2.2 Use needs-assessment data to plan CME activities 2.3 Communicate the purpose or objectives of the activity so the learner is informed before participating in the activity 2.4 Evaluate the effectiveness of its CME activities in meeting identified educational needs 2.5 Evaluate the effectiveness of its overall CME program and make improvements to the program 3.1 Have an organizational framework for the CME unit that provides the necessary resources to support its mission, including support by the parent organization, if a parent organization exists 3.2 Operate the business and management policies and procedures of its CME program (as they relate to human resources, financial affairs, and legal obligations) so that its obligations and commitments are met 3.3A Disclose required information and relationships 3.3B Maintain control of the educational content of the activity 3.3C Ensure that promotion and education are separate 3.3D Demonstrate appropriate management of funds from commercial supporters Accredited MECC/Publisher Compliance by Element Exemplary compliance Compliance Scienta Healthcare education, Durham, N.C., an ACCME-accredited provider, is dedicated to the development and dissemination of continuing medical education. For more information, visit scienta-edu.com. 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3.1 3.2 3.3A 3.3B 3.3C 3.3D 95% 98% 96% 96% 99% 99% 93% 100% 99% 87% 99% 100% 93% Formula for Success … • Know and embrace CME — the spirit as well as the rules • Understand business — that of the MECCs and that of the grantors • Set the bar high — demand excellence and innovation in everything that is done • Be a force for change — embrace the challenges as they unfold and be a part of the solution

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