All accredited providers within the ACCME System are required to use the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) to report information about their CME activities.
In addition, providers can use PARS to register their CME activities and report learner data for the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) programs of the following boards:
- American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)
- American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)
- American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS)
- American Board of Pathology (ABPath)
- American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)
- American Board of Surgery (ABS)
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS)
All boards collaborating with ACCME can utilize the CME for MOC Program Guide, a unified guide that includes common requirements in one main section, followed by sections for board-specific requirements.
Aside from using PARS via the web interface, ACCME provides other options for submitting information into PARS. Providers can submit data via Excel upload, XML batch upload, or using web services.
Providers can bulk upload activities via XML batch upload, Excel upload, or using web services.
The resources below contain information on submitting activity data via the various methods allowed in PARS. The XML batch upload process uses the Medical Education Metrics (MEMS) XML standard created by Medbiquitous. Please be aware that there are special instructions and templates for registering CME activities for MOC using the XML upload features in PARS. Be sure to refer to these special instructions when registering an activity for MOC.
Resources for Jointly Accredited organizations submitting information to JA-PARS can be found here.
Excel Upload Information for Activities
- Excel Submission Instructions for Activities: This document contains instructions to providers on how to upload activity data via Excel to PARS.
- Excel Activity Batch Template (CME): Providers should use this template for submitting CME activities.
- Excel Activity Batch Template (CME and MOC): Providers should use this template for submitting CME activities that they are also registering for MOC.
XML Upload Information
- XML Activity Upload Instructions: A document describing the activity XML format for CME activities, including instructions for additional MOC activity registration for all currently collaborating specialty boards.
- ABA MOCA Excel Content Outline: An Excel version of the ABA MOCA Content Outline used for reference when registering activities specifically for ABA MOCA.
- XML Activity Upload Technical Files: A zip file containing a sample XML file and other technical files to be used for uploading activity records to PARS. This file is useful to support both implementation of the web services (see PARS Web Services below) and XML batch upload file development.
The resources below have information on submitting learner data for CME and MOC via Excel batch and XML batch upload using the Medical Education Metrics (MEMS) XML standard created by MedBiquitous. Please be aware that there are special instructions and templates for uploading learner data for MOC using the XML upload features in PARS.
Excel Upload Information
- Excel Submission Instructions for Learners: This document contains instructions to providers on how to upload learner data via Excel to PARS.
- Excel Batch Learner Template: Providers should use this template for submitting CME for any state and MOC learner data to participating certifying boards through PARS.
XML Upload Information
- XML Learner Submission Instructions: A document describing the XML file format to be used for submitting CME for any state and MOC learner data to participating certifying boards through PARS.
- XML Learner Submission Technical Files: A zip file containing a sample XML file and other technical files to be used for submitting learner completion data for CME for any state and MOC learner data to participating certifying boards through PARS. This file is useful to support both implementation of the web services (see below) and XML batch upload file development.
The resource(s) below has information on bulk learner validation via an Excel spreadsheet prior to submitting learner data for MOC or CME. Please be aware that there are special instructions and a special template for pre-validating learners via PARS.
Excel Learner Pre-Validation Information
- Excel Learner Pre-Validation Template: Providers should use this template - which includes instructions - for pre-validating learner identification data.
We have implemented web services that will enable your software applications, such as learning management systems, to submit activity and learner completion data directly to PARS. The goal of these services is to reduce the need for CME provider staff to use manual data entry or batch upload methods. To use these web services, your developers will need to make modifications to your software.
Resources for Web Services
- The following resources provide guidance for your IT professionals:
- ACCME PARS Web Services: This guide describes how to modify CME providers’ software/learning management systems to allow them to communicate directly with PARS. Please note this guide has been updated since we published the pre-release guide earlier this month.
- Testing site: A test site is available as a tool to aid in the development and testing of software designed to use these web services. If you're interested in using the testing site, please contact info@accme.org.
- Test Learners: Use the test learners in this file when accessing the testing site. The file includes test learners for all MOC/CC collaborating boards and CME test learners for all states.
The resources below have information on submitting de-identified learner data for Opioid Analgesic REMS via Excel batch upload, XML batch upload, and web services.
Excel Upload Information
- Excel Submission Instructions for REMS Learners: This document contains instructions to providers on how to upload de-identified REMS learner data to PARS.
- Excel Submission REMS Learner Template: Providers should use this template for submitting FDA-required REMS learner data through PARS.
XML Upload Information
- REMS XML Learner Submission Instructions: A document describing the XML file format to be used for submitting FDA-required REMS learner data.
- REMS XML Learner Submission Technical Files: A zip file containing a sample XML file and other technical files for submitting FDA-required learner completion data for REMS activities.
Web Services
- Supplemental Web Services Guide for REMS: This supplemental guide contains information about how to submit FDA-required learner completion data for REMS activities through a direct web service connection to PARS. Information about other web services available for PARS can be found in the general PARS Web service guide.