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ALSO Course Director
Requirements
ALSO Course Directors must have successfully completed an ALSO Provider Course. It is also beneficial if he or she has previously participated as faculty in a provider course.
Role
The course director oversees and manages all aspects of implementing the course. He or she is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the course meets all course requirements. The course director must also remain on-site during the entire course, including longitudinal courses (those completed over several weeks / months in smaller segments).
Responsibilities
The AAFP utilizes an established procedure for identifying and analyzing continuing medical educational needs and interests of prospective participants. Each course director is required to:
- Determine if there is an identified need in his/her local community to offer the ALSO Provider Course. The course director should describe the need and the mechanism used to determine this need, and submit this information on the Course Request/Authorization Form (2-page PDF file; About PDFs).
- Select appropriate faculty. Currently, the faculty must consist of one ALSO Advisory Faculty member and at least 50 percent ALSO Approved Instructors (see subsequent pages for faculty definitions and responsibilities). Currently, the 50 percent requirement may include ALSO Approved Instructors or ALSO Instructor Candidates. The remainder of the faculty may include additional qualified health professionals who are comfortable with the goals and objectives of the course, and who agree to utilize standard course methods and materials. The optimal faculty-participant ratio is 1:5, no more than 1:6.
- Involve the advisory faculty member in all aspects of the planning and development of the course to ensure that quality and consistency are maintained.
- When AAFP Prescribed Credit or continuing nursing contact hours are offered (see CME Credit Approval), the course director is responsible for ensuring that all course faculty complete the required faculty conflict of interest / disclosure forms in compliance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support of Continuing Medical Education and maintain copies for each faculty member in the course sponsor's file. The ALSO staff can provide sample documents of these forms. If a conflict of interest is revealed, the conflict of interest must be resolved prior to allowing the faculty to participate in the course. It is required that all conflicts of interest or unapproved products be disclosed to the participants prior to the course. This may be done verbally, in a slide or in a handout.
Required conflict of interest / disclosure forms are to be kept on file by the course sponsor:
- Continuing Medical Education Disclosure Policy on Faculty and Provider Relationships
- Disclosure on Discussion of Unapproved Uses of Products
The course director is responsible for returning course reporting forms to the AAFP within two weeks following course completion.
Summary of Director's Activities
A brief summary of activities that require the course director’s involvement when conducting a course include the following:
- Strictly adhering to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support of Continuing Medical Education
- Strictly adhering to Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) operational requirements for commercial support
- Involving the AAFP with the planning and developing of the course
- Involving the advisory faculty member in all stages of the planning and development of the course
- Organizing a faculty meeting prior to the course
- Organizing equipment and meeting rooms
- Presenting opening announcements and introductions
- Being available for questions from faculty and participants
- Ensuring that the course runs smoothly and according to schedule
Faculty Qualifications & Responsibilities
ALSO Course Director
