To Love or Not to Love the ACCME Proposed Revisions: That is the Question

As William Shakespeare wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “The course of true love never did run smooth.” And so it is with the ACCME’s Proposal for Simplifying and Evolving the Accreditation Requirements and Process.

Although many applaud the ACCME for taking a big step forward, and I am inclined to agree, I also want to point out that …

SIMPLIFIED ≠ SIMPLE

The ACCME proposed revisions do go a long way towards eliminating inconsistencies (like the ban on corporate logos) and items that lacked common sense (such as deleting criteria 4.)  But the items with which providers struggle, namely finding gaps and needs, the Standards for Commercial Support, program evaluation, and overall documentation, are still included.  The proposed activity file form does not eliminate the need to have activity data.

That being said, I do love the fact that the ACCME talked with over 1,000 providers through a series of Town Halls and focus groups, to obtain suggestions which went into these proposed changes.  Because the ACCME solicited feedback from all types of providers, from large organizations and small, from those who inhabit the  ivory tower and those down in the trenches, I feel more confident that that these proposed changes reflect the reality of medical education.

Because ultimately, we all agree that we need to marry the goals of compliance and improved patient care with the realities of every day medical education business.

To quote the Bard again, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.” Having analyzed the ACCME proposed revisions, I’m even more excited to engage with the ACCME than I was before.

CME Tools for CME Providers

In the world of accredited CME, it is vital to share CME tools and tips with each other in order to elevate the profession.  This is one of the goals of the Southern California Medical Education Council (SCMEC), for which I serve as Secretary.

At the SCMEC March 2013 Quarterly Meeting, I presented some tools & take-aways gleaned from the Alliance for CEHP meeting.  Click here to view this presentation: SCMEC 3-12-13.

In addition to this presentation, we also heard from Darcy Mironov from the IMQ.  She discussed the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, ACCME criteria 11-15, and common pitfalls that providers should try to avoid.  Although her presentation is not available for distribution yet, some of the topics she covered are included on this FAQ sheet.

You can learn more about SCMEC here.

You can learn more about the Alliance for CEHP here.

Best Practices for CME Consulting

There are a number of resources available that discuss best practices when working with a consultant.  The purpose of this article is to highlight some elements that may be  particularly relevant to medical education consulting.

When searching for a consultant to assist with CME accreditation or reaccreditation, conflict of interest management, or improvements for your medical education program, the following are a series of questions to ask yourself:

1. How would I describe the primary feeling of a successful consulting relationship?  Collaborative? Supportive? Educational? Other?
2. How often do I have time to connect with the consultant? Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?
3. How do I prefer to connect? Email, shared files, telephone, text messages?
4. What are my priorities when working with the consultant? What are my deadlines?
5. If the consultant will be asked to work with colleagues and/or physicians, how will I manage those interactions?
6. Have I had experience working with consultants previously, and what did I learn that I can apply here?

Once you have a sense of your answers to these questions, you will be in a better position to select a consultant that matches your personality and expectations.

Optimizing Time with Consultant

Another way of saying this is, “get the most bang for your buck!”  Clearly communicating the goals of the interaction in advance of time scheduled with the consultant, whether a brief phone call or an all-day meeting, is essential. Although formal agendas are not always needed, a set of bullet points can ensure all of your questions are answered.

If you are working on a deadline to produce a document (such as a self-study for the ACCME or similar accreditor), determine with the consultant how you will stay on track. Timelines and task lists may be enough when there are only a few people involved or when one person is controlling the interaction with the consultant. Project management tools  may be useful when many people are contributing to the endeavor. Options include Excel, TeamGantt and Basecamp.

If you do not meet in person with the consultant, it may be useful to implement a file and/or screen sharing software to ensure you are both on the same page. Use of tools such as Box.com, Dropbox.com, Google docs, MeetingBurner and GotoMeeting can optimize your interactions and minimize email.

Personal Professional Development

One of the benefits of working with a consultant is the opportunity to talk with someone who speaks the same language and understands some of the challenges you face in maximizing your program’s effectiveness.  If you have your own personal continuing professional development goals, share them with the consultant who may be able to include aspects of your goals in the scope of  her work.  For example, if you want to further develop your ability to facilitate and guide the CME Committee, the consultant could model such skills during a planning meeting or coach you in advance of a meeting.

Keeping these points in mind will help to nurture a mutually beneficial connection between yourself and your CME consultant.