Quality assurance of Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Profesional Development in the European countries is the responsibility of the National Accreditation Authorities.
The quality and effectiveness of the accreditation process and of the awarding of international CME / CPD credits will be granted at the European level by the European Accreditation Council for CME / CPD.
The provider applying for international certification:
– should conform to the quality criteria set by the relevant national and international Authorities;
– should submit to the European Accreditation Council for CME / CPD proof of the quality and content of the CME / CPD activity concerned.
For this purpose the following data must be submitted for assessment to the EORNA ACE:
1. Objectives of the CME / CPD activity
- The learning objectives of the CME / CPD activity.
- The target participants.
You can find the ACE application form here.
2. Program
- A detailed written statement outlining the content of the event / training programme and the expected outcome.
- Specification of the practical organization of the CME / CPD activity with description of the premises, languages and interpretation.
3. Provider
The names and relevant data of the programme director who is ultimately held responsible by EORNA ACE for the event including conflicts of interest issues.
Relevant qualifications of other lecturers / presenters to the event.
The structure of the provider with statutes and rules of procedure if applicable and other relevant details.
Data about previous conferences organized by the same provider with data about teachers and programmes.
Proof of disclosure of potential conflict of interest (e.g. paid consultant, significant investments, research grants) should be made in the printed programme (or at least orally before the presentation begins). Disclosure should also be made by members of the Planning Committee.
Providers will only be awarded accreditation for CME / CPD activities that they organize themselves. Providers cannot transfer their accreditation to other parties or let other parties organize the CME activity on their behalf.
4. Commercial interest
- Providers often receive financial and other support from non-accredited commercial organizations. Such support can contribute significantly to the quality of CME / CPD activities. This support should be subjected to standards.
- The provider must assure that the educational programme approved for international CME / CPD credit is not influenced or biased by commercial organizations.
- Commercial support may be provided to conferences in a variety of ways: exhibits, advertising, industry meetings and presentations, payment of expenses of faculty or participants (travel, hotel etc.), educational grants.
- Industry-presented education must be clearly distinguished from CME / CPD activities under the control and supervision of the provider`s CME / CPD planning committee. These events cannot be recognized for credits. Standard uniform terminology should be used to identify industry-presented education. Industry-presented education should not be scheduled to compete with CME / CPD activities.
- Educational grants must always be made with “no strings attached” and should always be acknowledged in the printed Programme.
5. Quality assurance
Providers have to guarantee that non-biased education is given.
Verifying the actual attendance of nurses at events whilst difficult to implement must be addressed. Providers of CME / CPD should only be accredited if they address themselves to this point.
Nurses can only claim credit proportional to the actual time spent either in participating in a CME / CPD activity or in studying self-directed long distance-learning material.
Providers of internationally accredited CME / CPD activities should submit a short report of each CME / CPD activity to the EORNA, including the analysis of the participant’s feedback forms. Apart from the personal data of foreign participants, information including the final programme, the development of the CNE activity and the actual attendance should be reported.
Feed back:
Arrangements must be made to facilitate feed back concerning the learning process from the participants to the provider of the CME / CPD activity.
Assessment:
Self-assessment is necessary, both for the provider and for the participant. Mechanisms for this purpose should be present.