Survey Results: How the Pandemic Is Affecting Accredited CE Providers; Register Now: CME for MOC Webinar; Coffee with Graham: Value of Virtual Education
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News
ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN: HOW THE PANDEMIC IS AFFECTING ACCREDITED PROVIDERS 
During the past several months, the ACCME has focused on helping the continuing education (CE) community respond to the pandemic. To help plan for an uncertain future, we recently conducted a survey of our accredited providers as well as several interviews. Although accredited CE providers reported that they are facing many current and future challenges, some survey respondents did express optimism for the coming year, projecting increases in numbers of activities and learners in 2021. As expected, almost all respondents reported a shift from live to virtual or hybrid formats for CE activities, bringing both benefits and challenges. Learn more here.
ACCREDITATION DECISIONS 
The ACCME made 37 accreditation decisions. Congratulations to the providers that received Accreditation and Accreditation with Commendation, and welcome to our newly accredited providers!
We encourage CME providers to celebrate their success in achieving accreditation and communicate the value of their accreditation and accreditation-related accomplishments by informing their community, learners, stakeholders, and the public. You are welcome to use this messaging and to include the ACCME Accredited or Accreditation with Commendation mark in your accreditation statement, as well as in educational materials and other communications.
NOW AVAILABLE: 2019 ACCME DATA REPORT
Last month, we released the ACCME Data Report: Steady Growth in Accredited Continuing Medical Education–2019. The annual report includes data from a community of 1,720 accredited organizations that offer physicians, other healthcare professionals, and healthcare teams an array of continuing education resources to promote high-quality, safe, and effective care for patients. View the video introduction here.
Tips and Tools
PLANNING FORM FOR EXPEDITED ACCREDITED ACTIVITIES RELATED TO COVID-19 AVAILABLE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2020
This spring, we released the Planning Form for Expedited Accredited Activities Related to COVID-19 to help accredited CE providers meet the urgent need for education. Since there were no approved tests or treatment options for COVID-19 available, it was unlikely that planners and faculty would have any relevant financial relationships to disclose. Therefore, we decided to remove the requirements for disclosure of relevant financial relationships and resolution of personal conflicts of interest for activities related to COVID-19 only, as part of our efforts to support the delivery of crucial education to clinicians and teams on the front lines of the pandemic.
We’ve heard from many of you that the form has been a helpful and widely utilized resource. We’ve also heard that as testing and treatments become available, some planners or faculty may now have relevant financial relationships. In response to the fast-changing environment, we have modified the form to clarify that it is available for use for activities offered by December 31, 2020, but not beyond. Please continue to use the form through the end of the year when appropriate. If you are concerned about planners or faculty who might have relevant financial relationships, always defer to the disclosure and resolution requirements to best serve your learners. Learn more here.
Reminders for Accredited Providers
CONTACT INFORMATION IN PARS 
Please make sure to keep your contacts up to date in the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). As an accredited CE provider, you are required to designate one person as the primary contact. This person receives all official ACCME communications and is the ACCME’s first point of contact for any questions or issues related to your organization's accreditation.
It is important to ensure that the primary contact is able to receive emails from ACCME addresses including info@accme.org and announcements@accme.org. You, or your organization’s IT administrator, may need to add these addresses to your internal list of allowed senders to prevent correspondence from being blocked or delivered to a spam folder.
In addition to the required primary contact, we encourage you to identify a Medical Director. There are also other contacts you have the option to enter. Learn more here.
PROTECT PATIENT INFORMATION IN IMAGES USED IN ACCREDITED CE 
Did you know that confidential patient information that is cropped out of images in PDF or PowerPoint files may still remain part of the file? Even though cropped information and portions of images are hidden from view, they may still be visible online, including on search engines. Make sure to read our instructions here to help to ensure that images in CME presentations are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Educational Opportunities
ACCME NEWCOMERS' INTRODUCTION TO ACCREDITED CE
The Newcomers’ Introduction to Accredited Continuing Education curriculum consists of three, newly formatted, one-hour multimedia modules on the concepts, principles, and processes used by accredited CE programs. Open to all, this curriculum will give you a foundational for managing accredited CE at your organization. Registration for the Newcomers’ course will be $150 per person and will be available soon—look out for an email blast from us with the details.
NEW RESOURCE: ARCHIVED WEBINARS PAGE
Missed an ACCME webinar and looking to catch up on the discussion? Our new archived webinars page is now available! This resource offers recordings of our free webinars for you to tune into at your convenience. Learn more here.
CME for MOC Updates
CME FOR MOC WEBINAR: USING PARS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE–SEPTEMBER 1
ACCME staff and participants will explore how PARS is integrated with the CME for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) collaboration—including the registration of activities and reporting of learners—as well as strategies to streamline those processes. Registration is free of charge and available here.
Archived Webinar CME for MOC: Using PARS to Your Advantage
ARCHIVED WEBINAR: PLANNING & EVALUATION IN SUPPORT OF CME FOR MOC 
This webinar discussed the steps in planning a CME activity that counts for MOC and explored how ACCME and MOC requirements are aligned. View the webinar here.
THE AMERICAN BOARD OF PATHOLOGY REMOVES SELF-ASSESSMENT MODULE REQUIREMENT
The American Board of Pathology (ABPath) announced that it is discontinuing the self-assessment component of its Continuing Certification program as of 1/1/2021. As a part of the CME for MOC collaboration, ABPath will continue to include Lifelong Learning (accredited CME) and Improvement in Medical Practice (also called Part IV) in its program. Here are some details about how this might affect your activity and learner reporting in the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS).
Awards and Recognition
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 
The National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) is now accepting letters of nomination for its John P. Hubbard Award, given annually to individuals who make outstanding contributions to the pursuit of excellence in the assessment of medical education.
Letters of nomination for the 2021 cycle can be sent to HubbardAward@NBME.org by Oct. 16, 2020. Visit NBME’s website for additional information.
Connect with Us 
COFFEE WITH GRAHAM
The Value of Virtual Education–Now Streaming on All Podcast Apps!
In episode 9, Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, discusses the benefits and challenges of creating virtual education for the clinician community during a pandemic: www.accme.org/coffee-with-graham.
EVOLVING CME AMID A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CME providers have adapted quickly to offer a wide range of resources to address the evolving needs of physicians. In a LinkedIn article, Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, addresses the strength of the CME community during these challenging times and the responsibility of the ACCME to provide meaningful support to you and your organization. Read more here.