Activities Not Eligible for CME Credit
The AAFP Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD) believes there are activities that are not appropriate for continuing medical education. In addition, there are activities that may be of educational interest and value to physicians that do not qualify for AAFP CME credit. The following are examples of activities for which no credit will be awarded:
- Activities with a primary purpose of personal enrichment for the physician, e.g., management, retirement planning, estate planning, insurance or taxes.
- Activities that may be educational but are part of a physician's professional responsibility, such as time spent reviewing patient records (unless incorporated into a formal CME activity as part of a continuous quality improvement [CQI] module), participating in individual physician quality assurance/peer review activities, taking a certification examination, doing community and public educational activities, or serving as a medical missionary.
- Viewing of non-hosted technical or scientific exhibits or poster sessions.
- Audit conferences that are medical staff activities.
- Activities that provide historical perspective on medicine, unless the activity shows relevance to current medical issues.
- Any portion of a course spent participating in a tour. A lecture or presentation related to the tour may be reviewed for AAFP CME credit.
- Supplemental reading that is not provided as an integral part of a CME activity.
- Enduring materials for which the term of approval for AAFP CME credit has expired.
- Activities designed to integrate or promote the use of dangerous medical practices. Dangerous medical practices are diagnostic and therapeutic interventions in which the risks substantially outweigh the benefits to patients.
- "Cranial sacral manipulation" topics are ineligible for AAFP CME credit because the term "cranial sacral manipulation" may represent practices other than those taught in accredited schools of osteopathic medicine. Topics on "osteopathy in the cranial field" (OCF) that represent practices taught in accredited schools of osteopathic medicine are eligible for AAFP Elective credit in the category of clinical content that is neither evidence-based, nor based on customary and generally accepted medical practice, but is not dangerous.
- Activities produced by proprietary entities such as pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, etc., including third party agents or health care communications companies representing proprietary entities.* Commercial companies may, however, provide funding in the form of an educational grant to support an activity. Applications from the CME provider will be accepted for review when indication is given that the CME activity is supported by an educational grant with attestation to full compliance to the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support.
* An exception to this policy may be made for CME activities produced by a private foundation that has been established by a proprietary entity as a non-profit, tax exempt, educational organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Activities produced by such foundations hereinbefore described, and henceforth referred to as "foundation," must focus on non-clinical topics that are eligible for review under established AAFP policies. Products or services of the founding proprietary entity cannot be mentioned in the CME activities produced by the foundation. Representatives of the founding proprietary entity cannot play a part in the planning, development, execution or evaluation of the foundation's educational programming. (BoD 3/00)
CME Credit Eligibility Requirements
Activities Not Eligible for CME
