Essential Area 1: Purpose and Mission
The provider must,
Element 1.1 - Have
a written statement of its CME mission, which includes the CME purpose,
content areas, target audience, type of activities provided, and
expected results of the program.
The purpose of a mission statement is to
describe the provider's goals and aspirations that shape the direction
of their continuing education activities. The MMS requires all providers
to have a mission statement that is specific to CME. The mission
statement must:
-
describe the purposes of the
overall CME program,
-
indicate the content areas of the
CME effort,
-
outline the target audience,
-
describe the types of activities
and services that will be provided, and
-
state the results that are expected
from the CME program.
The CME mission statement provides a benchmark
for the accredited provider to evaluate its overall CME efforts. The
purpose of the mission statement is not to restrict activities or to
mandate change, but to make explicit a central purpose for a
provider’s CME work. The organization’s governing body is
required to review and approve the CME mission statement.
The goals in a CME mission statement are usually
broad and reflect the aspirations of an organization. For example, a
goal might be to improve the quality of patient care through
physician learning. To make the direction of a CME program more
specific, the MMS asks for annual goals.Those goals translate the
mission statement into action statements. Examples might include the
following:
- Increase the number of monthly conferences from three to four
- Focus on post-operative infection control
- Provide information about the (new) Pain Control Clinic
- Discuss enacting team approaches to caring for patients involved in
suspected domestic abuse
A CME Committee is required by the
MMS to help carry out the mission of the CME program. A CME Committee
allows for representation from across an organization. That
representation serves to bring challenges and unmet educational needs
from many sources to the attention of the CME Committee. The Committee
also serves to disseminate information back to all areas of the
organization. The CME Committee provides a resource by supporting the
DME and sharing in the programmatic responsibilities.
The MMS does not dictate the
details of how a CME Committee will operate; however, the MMS surveyor
team looks at the resources for understanding the needs of an
organization and the resources to implement learning activities. One of
the best ways to demonstrate an organization's understanding of its
needs is through a committee. That group brings ideas from across the
organization, and helps define and support the CME goals in the mission
statement. The group also understands the requirements for CME credit,
and provides expertise in evaluating the types of programs that will be
helpful to its staff or membership. Regularly scheduled meetings with
detailed minutes documenting consistent review of potential programs is
one example of what the surveyors want to see when they review an
organization. Committee meeting minutes also document the actions of the
provider.
All accreditation requirements must
be translated for the applicable needs of each specific organization.
The CME Committee provides one mechanism to ensure that a collection of
good ideas is generated to fulfill those requirements. While the MMS
cannot review or approve particular components of a CME program for a
specific organization, it is always available to respond to
questions.
Next Page: Element 1.2
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