AMDA Gears Up for Reaccreditation
In 1995, AMDA successfully met accreditation standards for four-year
accreditation and in 1999 was reaccredited for an additional four
years. Each successful reaccreditation ensures AMDA's ability to
continue to offer CME hours in category 1 of the AMA PRA.
In August 2002, AMDA will receive the next reaccreditation
application. Within the last few months, the Education Committee and
staff have begun to review the overall educational program and
processes used to meet the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education (ACCME) requirements. This will continue to be a priority for
Education Committee members and staff as they work through the
application process, which includes a self-study report on best
practices and strengths and challenges of AMDA's overall education
program.
To this end, members should watch for a survey from the Education
Committee to be mailed later this month. The committee and the AMDA
Board of Directors urge you to complete and return the form, as it is a
crucial element of the self-study report. The survey that many of you
completed last year regarding AMDA's Core Curriculum on Medical
Direction is also an element of the self-study process.
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Chapters Can Partner on Attending Physician Curriculum
In 2003, there are opportunities for state chapters to partner with AMDA, if they can:
- identify two easily scheduled, easily accessible, regional weekend courses;
- secure partners with state medical societies, state AAFP chapters, or state chapters of ACP-ASIM;
- conduct focus group sessions to obtain immediate
feedback on course content, marketing information, and for industry
support to interact with attendees; and
- assist with regional recruitment of attending physicians.
For more information, please contact Joyce Garner, Education Assistant, at 410/992-3140 or e-mail to jgarner@amda.com.
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After the written report has been filed, sometime between June and
September 2003, ACCME surveyors will come to the AMDA office to review
the overall organizational structure and how education relates to that
structure. They also will examine course files for documentation of
compliance with the essential areas of the education process. The
survey team will analyze how well AMDA is meeting its own educational
purpose and mission, at what level of compliance AMDA meets the ACCME
criteria for educational planning and evaluation, and the overall
resources available and administration for continuing CME development
and improvement.
The survey team will also review AMDA practices regarding
relationships with, for example, industry for grants, exhibits,
Industry Sponsored Symposia, and overall support of AMDA's educational
mission. At their discretion, surveyors might also attend an AMDA
educational program.
As a body, ACCME sets and administers standards and criteria for
providers of quality CME for physicians and related professionals,
certifies that accredited providers meet the requirements of the
essential areas of physician education that guide needs assessment,
content development, evaluation, and implementation of quality
improvement based on information gleaned from evaluations and outcomes
measures. The reaccreditation process facilitates providers' planning
toward continually improving their physician education programs.
Because of its position on the governing board for ACCME, the AMA
permits ACCME accredited providers to offer CME credit hours in
category 1 of the AMA Physicians Recognition Award. ACCME governance is
comprised of members of the following seven boards of medical
organizations: American Hospital Association, American Medical
Association, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, American Board of
Medical Specialties, Federation of State Medical Boards of the U.S.,
Inc., Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Association for
Hospital Medical Education.
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