If you are a potential CME applicant, involved in the development of a CME activity, or simply interested in information related to the CME process, the Office of CME at CDU has provided links to relevant CME policies, procedures and forms that guide CME activity planning and implementation. All CME policies, procedures, and forms, including those provided here, are reviewed annually.
CME Policies and Procedures
All individuals in a position to affect or control the content of a CME activity must provide disclosure of all financial relationships with an ACCME-defined ineligible company occurring in the past 24 months to CDU. Completed Financial Relationship Disclosure Forms must be received in sufficient time for CDU to identify and mitigate any relevant financial relationships. Individuals who fail or refuse to disclose financial relationships will be ineligible to participate in the planning, presentation, or evaluation of a CME activity.
CDU will review Disclosure Forms to identify relevant financial relationships and take the following actions:
Individuals reporting no relevant financial relationships, and thus possessing no conflicts of interest are eligible to plan, create or present the CME activity.
Financial relationships reported by in a position to influence content of a CME activity must be reviewed by CDU to determine whether a “relevant” financial relationship(s) exists, and if so, the mechanism(s) that will be used to mitigate the relevant financial relationship(s).
Mitigation of identified relevant financial relationships may be accomplished via implementation of a multi-mechanism approach, as deemed appropriate by the Office of CME.
Joint Provider-ship
Charles R. Drew University requires that all activities which it jointly provides comply with the ACCME’s Criteria and Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, and the requirements of the American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award.
Mission and Definition of CME
Interested joint provider applicants must contact CDU’s Office of CME prior to submission of a CME Application, in order to be considered for joint providership. The Office of CME must appropriately vet all potential joint providership partners to ensure an organization is not considered to be an ACCME-defined ineligible company and that the content of a proposed CME activity fits the Definition of CME and aligns with the CME mission of CDU.
CME Application Process
Once approved as a potential joint providership partner by CDU’s Office of CME, applicants must complete the CDU CME Application within the required timeframe outlined by the Office of CME. Each complete CME Application must then be formally reviewed and approved. For each educational initiative the Office of CME requires that the following individuals are identified in advance and attest to the responsibilities associated with the CME activity: 1) Chair, 2) Faculty Member and Administrative Support Point-of-Contact.
For an activity to be eligible for CME accreditation, not only must the CME Advisory Committee approve a CME Application, but the Office of CME must be involved in all planning, implementation and reconciliation steps of a CME activity. As such, the following timeframes are enforced to ensure adequate time to implement CDU’s CME planning process. If the requirements and obligations are not fulfilled within the timeline set forth, CME credit may not be issued.
Departmental Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS) Activities: A minimum of three (3) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity
One-Time, Non-recurring Activities (Less than 4.0 credit hours): A minimum of six (6) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity
One-Time, Full-day Conference: A minimum of six (6) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity for Course Directors with prior experience of the CDU CME accreditation process. For Course Directors with no prior experience of the CDU CME accreditation process, a minimum of nine (9) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity.
Multi-day Conference: A minimum of twelve (12) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity
Annual Programs: A minimum of six (6) months is required from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME activity.
Solicitation of Commercial Support: All requests for commercial support must first be approved by the Dean of the College of Medicine. In order to effectively gather all information and materials and submit grant proposals, any CME activity soliciting commercial support requires a minimum of six (6) months from approval of a CME Application to launch of the CME Activity.
The Office of CME must review all grant materials prior to submission. Please allow a minimum of one-month prior to submission of grant proposals in order to ensure sufficient time for review and implementation of feedback.
Joint Providership Agreement
Upon approval of a CME Application, CDU and the joint provider will sign a Joint Providership Agreement delineating all pertinent information, roles and responsibilities.
Fees and Payment
Fees and payment schedule will be negotiated on an activity-by-activity basis and will be delineated in the Joint Providership Agreement.
Notification
The applicant organization will be notified in writing when its request is approved or disapproved. Audience generation or activity materials may not be disseminated without approval from the Office of CME.
Commercial Support
The Office of CME must approve all requests for financial and other support sought from commercial companies. In addition, the Office of CME must accept any commercial support, which may be awarded. When commercial support funds are solicited and/or accepted, CDU enforces the following requirements:
The CDU Office of CME makes all decisions regarding the disbursement of any potential commercial support funds and in-kind support received for CME activities.
The CDU Office of CME will not be required by an ineligible company (commercial interest) to accept advice or services concerning teachers, authors, or participants or other education matters, including activity content and format, from an ineligible company as conditions of contributing funds or services.
All commercial support associated with a CME activity must be given with the full knowledge and approval of the Office of CME. No additional funds or in-kind support will be provided to the planning committee members, teachers, or authors beyond those defined in the budget.
All educational grant amounts will be based on an itemized and estimated budget prepared in advance and shared with the commercial supporter.
The total dollar amount and/or in-kind contribution will be specifically detailed in the Letter of Agreement.
All commercial support expenditures must be documented and, upon request, provided to the commercial supporter.
A Letter of Agreement must accompany any support provided, monetary or “in kind.” The Letter of Agreement shall define the terms, purposes, and conditions of the grant and shall be signed by the ineligible company, CDU, and any other provider or educational partner involved in the planning and implementation of the CME activity.
All requests for commercial support must first be approved by the Dean of the College of Medicine at least 6-months prior to the accredited activity. The Office of CME requires at least a 1-month lead for review of commercial support requests inclusive of the grant proposal and budget.
The Course Director must adhere to the roles and responsibilities for solicitation of and receipt of commercial support.
If commercial support is awarded, the Course Director is responsible for being on-site at the accredited activity to ensure compliance with all Office of CME Policies and Procedures
All requests for commercial support must include an accreditation fee, if permitted.
Social Events
The CDU Office of CME must approve all social events associated with a CME activity. Approved social events, including meals at CME activities, will not compete with or take precedence over the educational activity. Modest meals and receptions, based upon local standards, are appropriate social events for CME activities. Social events must be modest with the educational components of an activity accounting for the majority of the activity’s total time. Spouses or guests may not attend social events and strict separation of promotion is maintained from any social event associated with a CME activity.
Charles R. Drew University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Many of our accredited initiatives, however, target the entire healthcare team, and you can expect to learn from noted experts who are leaders in their fields.
