The ACCME has been working to simplify the management of CME credits and seeks comments from accredited providers on the best next steps to support that evolution and maximize participation from all providers in the digital ecosystem.
For several years, ACCME has offered accredited providers the opportunity to report credit information directly to ACCME, rather than issue a certificate of completion. Upon completing an ACCME-accredited activity, the reported credits can appear in each physician’s CME Passport transcript, conveniently keeping their credits in one place. To validate their identity, physicians need only provide as little as their name, one state in which they are licensed, and the month and day of their birthday to each ACCME-accredited provider whose activities they complete. Accredited CME providers can enter both activity and learner credit data in ACCME’s Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) via web fill form, batch upload tools using such as Microsoft Excel, or automated web services. Once the credit is reported by the provider through PARS, it is made available in the physician’s personal transcript, and with permission, to their allopathic or osteopathic licensing board(s) and participating certifying board. Physicians can log in to their profile on CME Passport and view a centralized transcript of their credit, as well as share that transcript with any entity they wish, including their certifying board or credentialing office.
This centralized system of CME credits is provided through the collaborative efforts of ACCME, FSMB and several ABMS-certifying boards. There is no fee to use the system. Data is not sold. The site contains no marketing. A similar national data management approach, CPE Monitor, has already been successfully adopted by the pharmacy profession.
The simplicity and utility of a centralized and automated credit management system is highly beneficial for physician-learners. For accredited providers, the arrival of digitized CME credits creates new efficiencies: certificates of attendance need not be issued, and since data is recorded centrally, physicians do not need to return to the provider to obtain missing transcripts. Accredited providers can also choose to have their activities listed and readily found by learners in the search engine on CME Passport.
Creating a hub of centralized CME credit data creates a streamlined and transparent system to ensure accurate, reliable, and seamless data flows that reduce the burden on the physician and the licensing boards while augmenting the value of accredited CME.
The ACCME seeks input on how it can further meet the needs of the community with these systems and maximize the adoption of the system by all providers for everyone’s benefit:
- What changes, if any, should be made to ensure reporting learner credit data is as easy and efficient as possible for accredited providers?
- How can ACCME best support accredited providers to ensure physicians have a complete record of their credit data available?
- What lead time should be provided if ACCME required all CME credit be reported into the system for all activities?
- How should ACCME approach content taxonomy and tagging when reporting activities while minimizing burden on the accredited provider?
Share your comments by Friday, April 7, 2023.
Comments will be summarized and used to inform future discussions on data management in CME and strategic planning.
CME Passport (formerly called CME Finder) is a free, centralized web application that enables physicians to view, track, and generate transcripts of their reported CME credit. Visit CMEPassport.org and learn more about what this means for your physician-learners here. You can learn how to quickly and easily register activities and upload learner completion data here
