Glossary
ACCME Standards for Commercial Support
Guidelines that describe appropriate behaviors for CME providers in planning, designing, implementing and evaluating CME activities for which support from commercial sources is received. For an activity to be eligible for AAFP CME credit, CME providers must attest on the AAFP CME application form that they will fully comply with the Standards. Individual activities may be selected in random post-event audits to confirm compliance.
Activity Director
The person responsible for the educational content of the CME activity.
CME Provider
The entity responsible for creating the educational activity for which AAFP CME credit is being sought. This definition includes AAFP committees, publications and chapters, as well as not-for-profit organizations, medical schools, volunteer agencies, specialty associations and commercial producers (e.g., health care communications companies). The definition excludes proprietary health care-related entities such as pharmaceutical companies and medical equipment manufacturers, as well as health care communications companies that are employed by a proprietary entity. Activities produced by such entities are not eligible for AAFP CME credit.
Commercial Bias
A personal judgment in favor of a specific proprietary business interest or a commercial interest.
Commercial Interest
Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients.
Commercial Support
Financial or in-kind contributions given by a commercial interest, which are used to pay all or part of the costs of a CME activity. Guidelines regarding roles and requirements when commercial support is received are outlined in the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support.
COCPD
Formerly the Commission on Continuing Medical Education (COCME), the AAFP’s Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD) has authority and oversight of the AAFP CME accreditation process and all AAFP-sponsored and AAFP-produced CME/CPD, including compliance with rules and regulations set by the AAFP and other regulatory bodies. The COCPD is responsible for exploring future directions and innovative concepts in lifelong learning, and making recommendations regarding the future of AAFP CME/CPD programming. The COCPD also proposes AAFP policies in matters of CME/CPD education.
Conflict of Interest
When an individual's interests are aligned with those of a commercial interest, the interests of the individual are in "conflict" with the interests of the public. The ACCME considers financial relationships to create actual conflicts of interest in CME when individuals have both a financial relationship with a commercial interest and the opportunity to affect the content of CME about the products or services of that commercial interest. The potential for maintaining or increasing the value of the financial relationship with the commercial interest creates incentive to influence the content of the CME and incentive to insert commercial bias.
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Educational activities which serve to maintain, develop or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public or the profession. The content of CME is that body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine and the provision of health care to the public. (ACCME, January 2006)
Customary and Generally Accepted (CGA) Medical Practice
Diagnostic and therapeutic interventions that are accepted by the practicing medical community for given indications in individual patients, families and communities. CME content is acceptable as customary and generally accepted medical practice if it is consistent with one or all of the following:
- Diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations presented in the books or review articles from the journals listed in the Brandon Hill Selected List of Books and Journals for the Small Medical Library, excluding texts 16 through 24, and also excluding the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. (In this context, a "review article" is one that presents an overview of a specific medical topic by discussing the results of many research articles published by various authors; the purpose is not to present the author's personal research.)
- Expert consensus statements of governmental agencies and institutions of the United States where the evidence has not been graded.
- Original scholarship, including research methodology and findings, as well as case reports, represents the customary and generally accepted educational practice of presenting new and valuable information that is not yet based on acceptable levels of evidence. CME content based on original scholarship is eligible for credit if disclosed as such.
Elective Credit
Credit type obtainable for activities designed primarily for other health professionals with content of interest to physicians that will improve a physician's professional ability but need not directly influence patient care or its delivery. These activities do not require AAFP member input.
Enduring Materials
Printed materials, programmed texts, audiotapes, videotapes, slides, CDs, online content, etc., used alone or in combination. Enduring materials include education disseminated by teleconferences, broadcasts by satellite, online or through software. These independent learning materials must, in themselves, constitute a planned CME activity. Handout materials designed to accompany a live presentation are not considered enduring materials by themselves. Enduring materials are designed primarily as self-study activities that may be used over time with different mediums.
Evidence-Based CME (EB CME)
Clinical content presented with key practice recommendations supported by evidence that has been systematically reviewed by an AAFP-recommended resource.
Evidence-Based Medicine
The integration of current best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values. (Sackett DL, Straus SE, Richardson WS, et al. Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. 2nd ed. London, England: Churchill Livingstone;2000.)
Family Physician
A physician who is educated and trained in family medicine -- a broadly encompassing medical specialty. Family physicians possess unique attitudes, skills and knowledge which qualify them to provide continuing and comprehensive medical care, health maintenance and preventive services to each member of the family, regardless of sex, age or type of problem, be it biological, behavioral or social. These specialists, because of their background and interactions with the family, are best qualified to serve as each patient’s advocate in all health-related matters, including the appropriate use of consultants, health services and community resources.
Family Medicine
The medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family. It is the specialty in breadth that integrates the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences. The scope of a family medicine encompasses all ages, both sexes, each organ system and every disease entity. (1986) (2005)
Family Physician Input
An AAFP Active or Life member who has direct involvement in the planning of a CME activity and attests that it is appropriate CME for family physicians. This activity would then qualify for AAFP Prescribed credit. Attestation is required on the CME application. An audit will be done to ensure the AAFP member was involved in the activity planning.
Journal CME
A regularly published collection of articles intended for medical professionals to provide continuing medical education. Journal CME may be in a print, audio, video or online format.
Live Activities
These involve two or more physicians and take place in “real time.” Typically, these are traditional didactic courses occurring as single, multiple site/date or series events. Broadcast and online activities, teleconferences and e-mail “chat groups” can be in this category if they are conducted in “real time” and have an interactive component. When a videotape is the major educational element of a live activity, a physician moderator must be available to provide a planned opportunity for interaction among the physicians in attendance. AAFP members are required to obtain a minimum of 25 Prescribed and/or Elective credits every three years from live learning activities.
Multiple Site/Date Activities
The same content is repeated at various locations or offered on different dates throughout a year.
Objectives
Statements that clearly describe what the learner will know or be able to do after participating in the CME activity. The statements should result from the needs assessment data.
Practice Recommendations
Statements, supported by evidence, that guide physicians in making choices about specific practice behaviors. One to three practice recommendations are required for each topic. They should be developed based on the needs assessment and learning objectives of the CME activity. They must be consistent with the results of a systematic review of evidence.
Prescribed Credit
Obtainable for activities designed primarily for physicians with content directly related to patient care, patient care delivery or certain non-clinical topics. A family physician who is an Active or Life AAFP member must be directly involved in the planning of the activity.
Series Activities
A preplanned set of regularly scheduled (e.g. weekly, monthly, quarterly) conferences that occur at one location/institution in a one-year period. The conferences have different topics related to a unifying theme under an umbrella title (e.g., Family Medicine Grand Rounds, Tumor Boards, Issues in Primary Care, etc.). Global objectives also serve to unify the series. The conferences must be uniform in length and may not exceed four hours or 3.75 credits. AAFP requires segments of four hours or more in length to include a fifteen-minute break.
Systematic Review
A review in which all the trials on a topic have been systematically identified, appraised and summarized according to predetermined criteria.
Training Programs (Mini-Residency/Fellowship)
A comprehensive activity designed for practicing physicians to upgrade knowledge that leads to skilled behavior in specific areas. Each activity must meet the AAFP CME criteria for approval of a live activity. These activities vary in length and may be arranged individually. They should allow enough time for the physician to learn the skills and demonstrate that he/she has achieved the defined objectives. The provider will define the skills to be taught beforehand and assess the skills acquired by the learner at the conclusion of the course. The director of the activity must provide the physician with written verification of attendance and the achievement of course objectives.
AAFP members may claim up to 50 credits per week (maximum: 150 per year) for participation in training programs for which formal applications of live activities have been reviewed and approved by the COCPD.
AAFP members may claim up to 50 credits per week (maximum: 150 per year) for participation in training programs for which formal applications of live activities have been reviewed and approved by the COCPD.
