FAQs for Planners (Course Directors, Coordinators, Planning Committees) 

Complete and submit the online CME application via the CME website. Attach required documents (budget estimate, draft agenda, and Speaker/Faculty Spreadsheet). Applications must be complete to be reviewed. For questions or guidance, please contact Sheryl Corey at [email protected].

Submit at least 3 months before the activity start date. Submit 6 months in advance for large activities, multi-day conferences, many speakers, or if requesting commercial support.

Do not distribute promotional materials (beyond a save-the-date) or accept commercial support until the activity has been reviewed and approved by the Office of CME.

Everyone in control of educational content must complete the Office of CME disclosure process (course directors, planners, faculty, moderators, content reviewers, and others who can influence content). Disclosures cover the prior 24 months.

No. Our disclosure form is based on the ACCME’s Standards and asks for different information. Faculty must submit an Office of CME disclosure form.

No. ACCME requires the accredited provider, at times with the assistance of the course director(s), to determine relevance. Relevance decisions and mitigation must be completed by someone without relevant relationships (or without overlapping relationships), using Office of CME processes.

They generally must be excluded unless a narrow ACCME exception applies. Notify the Office of CME immediately so eligibility and required steps can be determined and documented.

No. Commercial support may not be used to pay personal expenses for individual learners. It may be used to defray the overall cost of education for all learners and to pay appropriate expenses for planners/faculty for those roles only.

Submit final attendance, evaluation results, and a final budget/expense report by the Office of CME deadline. Retain supporting documentation for auditing and accreditation requirements.

CME activities must identify and address at least one educational gap. A professional practice gap is defined as the difference between health care processes and outcomes currently in practice and those potentially achievable. Put simply, it is actual practice (what learners currently know and/or do) vs. best practice (what they should know and/or do). Ask yourself, “What does the target audience need to improve upon in order to provide better and safer patient care?” A professional practice gap can be articulated by completing the following sentence: A learner practice gap exists because learners currently . . . A professional practice gap is NOT: • A topic that sounds interesting that is not supported by evidence • A topic retrospectively defined after the speaker and agenda has already been set • A list of learning objectives or summary of the activity agenda Example professional practice gap: • Before (NOT a practice gap): Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. The Northwestern Cancer Center is a national leader in the battle to overcome cancer and dedicated to scientific discovery. Our clinicians are experts in many cancer-related disciplines and will address the most up-to-date findings in the field. • After (A well-articulated practice gap): A learner practice gap exists because clinicians are currently not routinely recommending the most up-to-date screening and management recommendations related to cancer. Additionally, patients often receive specialty cancer care too late to meaningfully improve outcomes.

All learners who participate in CME-accredited activities must be accounted for. While some learners may not be eligible for AMA PRA Category 1 credits, every attendee who completes the post-activity evaluation will receive a participation certificate which can then be submitted to their various boards for CEU or other credits.

No. Presentations requiring content validation must be peer-reviewed by a Course Director or Planning Committee member who:

Please use the budget template that was provided when the activity was approved. The OCME is required to document revenue and expenses to the ACCME, and that template includes all the required categories. Occasionally, grant providers will require follow-up grant reconciliation, so it is important to be able to document how their funds were spent.

No. The final budget cannot show a negative balance. The OCME needs to see how expenses were paid for. If departmental funds were used to cover the balance, the final budget should reflect this. If you have questions about submitting the final budget, your Office of CME coordinator can assist you.