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Continuing medical education (CME) for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) has long been a critical part of healthcare. A two-year collaboration between the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) has resulted in more opportunities for practitioners to earn credit for activities that serve to improve patient care. In an April 2017 announcement, ABIM said that CME opportunities will be expanded even further.
Under the new model, accredited CME providers will be able to register activities – including formal performance improvement CME (PI-CME) activities – that meet ABIM’s specifications for Medical Knowledge and/or Practice Assessment MOC using the ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS). As with Medical Knowledge activities, any format is eligible for registration. Activities that meet the ABIM MOC Assessment Recognition Program guidelines can be registered for a single type of ABIM MOC credit or for multiple applicable credit types such as Medical Knowledge and Practice Assessment.
Expanded Opportunities for Educators
More flexibility in accredited activities means educators and leaders can use continuing education software to design targeted courses and materials for the topics most relevant to their audiences. Better still, they can look forward to greater participation in online discussions, information sharing and networking, as CME accreditation means providers have greater incentive to set time aside for these activities. This flexibility has been proven to inspire creativity and innovation in CME offerings, delving into topics that are often left unexplored by busy physicians. Note that CME credit tracking requirements still apply, so most elect to use a comprehensive learning management system (LMS) for CME.
ABIM/ACCME Collaboration Makes CME More Convenient
The success of ABIM’s existing partnership with ACCME has encouraged more than 68,000 healthcare providers to earn approximately 3.3 million MOC points for accredited CME activities. With the expansion of options, there are now more than 3,000 accredited activities to choose from. From online courses to workshops and seminars, physicians have many opportunities to earn credit while focusing on their areas of interest. This streamlined model makes CME more convenient for practitioners, simplifying the process of improving quality of patient care.
The collaboration has been so effective that ABIM and ACCME were recognized by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEhp) with the 2017 Award for Outstanding Educational Collaboration. This honor, which is given to educators and leader “who are paving the way to improve patient care through education” highlights the value of this program.
For implementing ABIM MOC activities, consider working with EthosCE. EthosCE is the industry-leading, SCORM-compliant learning management system designed to automate and modernize the delivery of continuing education in the health professions. We work closely with leading medical association, academic centers, and health system to optimize their technology infrastructure and create an easy-to-use and intuitive environment for learners and CME administrators alike. For more information about our EthosCE, please contact us at 267-234-7401.
