Updated Criteria: The Challenge Unchanged

ACCME's updated criteria change the types of data that needs to be collected by CME providers. Previously we could design educational activities based on physician interests. Now our educational activities need to address professional performance gaps. Previously it was enough to increase knowledge. Now, ACCME requires improving competence, performance, or patient outcomes.

To me, the central challenge remains unchanged. Can we meet our accreditation requirements by providing our faculty and staff with guidelines and services that are useful in improving the educational outcomes of our CME activities? Besides maintaining the independence of CME from commercial interests, can CME program managers add value to medical education?

When it comes to the value of our CME requirements and guidelines, perception is reality. If the standards CME program managers develop are perceived as unnecessary bureaucratic overhead, they won't improve outcomes even if they could. If our educational standards and services are perceived as useful and valuable, they will motivate reflection, planning, and analysis that will produce positive results.

This sounds simple, but promoting CME requirements as something faculty should "want to" do as opposed to something that they "have to" do is not easy. CME program managers need to be coalition builders and salespeople. We need to collect feedback, optimize our educational planning and evaluation processes, and evangelize their features and benefits.

The updated criteria increase the amount of work and costs to run a CME program. So while the challenge remains the same, the stakes are higher. And more work won't sell itself.