The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) recently released a new report, Transforming Continuing Medical Education Together: 2017 Highlights from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. The inaugural year-in-review report showcases the efforts of the ACCME and the continuing medical education (CME) community to leverage the power of education to respond to the changing healthcare environment.
The report aims to celebrate the CME community’s initiatives to drive meaningful change for educators, clinicians, and ultimately patients, including:
- The Menu of Criteria for Accreditation with Commendation which represents the CME community’s vision of the future of education. From engaging with students, patients, and teams to tackling population and public health issues, CME providers that meet these criteria demonstrate the capacity of education to address healthcare challenges.
- Expanded opportunities for physicians to participate in education that counts for multiple requirements, thus reducing burdens and allowing clinicians more flexibility in choosing education that meets their needs, as a result of collaborations between accreditors, certifying boards, and educators.
- Freedom and flexibility in employing blended, new, and innovative approaches to education through the alignment of ACCME/American Medical Association requirements.
- Collaborations with other organizations, including the nursing and pharmacy accreditor colleagues to initiate a new IPCE credit mark that identifies education designed to improve team collaboration and patient care, helping to increase recognition for interprofessional continuing education (IPCE).
- Increased engagement with healthcare leaders to promote the value of CME as a strategy to fulfil institutional and health system priorities.
- Becoming a model of accreditation standards for other CME systems and providers around the world.
The report also describes the ACCME’s commitment to supporting the CME community. With its new annual meeting and online learning portal, as well as other educational offerings, the ACCME aims to build a community of practice that assists CME professionals in achieving their full potential.
The ACCME published Transforming Continuing Medical Education Together as part of its efforts to build visibility for the CME community and communicate the value of accreditation and accredited CME.
Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, ACCME President and CEO said, “The CME community has much to be proud of. We look forward to continuing our work together, as we fulfill our shared aspiration to enhance education, drive improvements in clinician and team performance, and—most important—to optimize care for the patients we all serve.”