Requirements for Enduring Material CME

Additional Information Communicated in Advance of the Learner Beginning the Activity (often also in marketing materials)

  • Principal faculty and their credentials
  • Medium or combination of media used
  • Method of participation in the learning process
  • Estimated time to complete the educational activity (same as number of designated credits)
  • Dates of original release and most recent review or update
  • Termination date after which credit is no longer available

Method for learner assessment

Since learners do not interact directly with faculty, the enduring material must include a component that measures achievement of the educational purpose of the activity with an established minimum performance level. Examples include a post-test or practice-management case studies with a minimum percentage of answers correct to receive credit.

Bibliographical resources

Appropriate resources should be referenced to allow for further study.

Period for which credit is available

Credit can be designated for up to three years, based on how long the information is expected to remain up-to-date and accurate. The material must then be reviewed for appropriateness for the designation of credit to be extended.

Commercial interests

Commercial interests may not provide or distribute enduring materials to learners.

Further Requirements for On-line CME

Activities made available over the internet also have to:

Provide additional information to learners

  • Hardware and software required to participate
  • Provider contact information if the learner has questions about the on-line CME activity
  • Policy on privacy and confidentiality that learners can easily access

Copyright

Accredited providers must be able to document ownership of or permissions to use copyrighted materials.

Separation from commercial content

  • The activity may not be placed on a website owned or controlled by a commercial interest
  • Advertising of any type is prohibited within the educational content of a CME activity
  • With clear notification that the learner is leaving the educational web site, links to websites of commercial interests may occur before or after the educational content