CME activity types
The AAFP certifies a variety of different CME activities. Explore the CME options available to you and your organization.
CME providers may apply for AAFP credit for CME activities that comply with the AAFP Credit System's eligibility requirements. Please note that CME providers won’t formally select an activity type in the credit application. Instead, providers will choose which credit application pathway and session format(s) align with their CME activity type.
Live activities
Live activities take place in real time, involving two or more physicians. These activities provide the opportunity for real-time interaction between learners and faculty. Live activities can be single, series or multi-site/date.
Knowledge self-assessment (KSA), live
A KSA activity is facilitated by expert faculty where learners come together to complete the KSA by working through 60 core competency questions by assessing, reviewing and deciding as a group the best answers. KSA activities are available in the following ways:
A single KSA activity offered only once, in one location, and not part of a series.
A single live activity in conjunction with a KSA Study Group activity.
One KSA activity delivered at multiple locations or on multiple dates.
Additional requirements for KSA activities are:
CME providers hosting live KSA study groups must be ABFM-approved providers to be eligible to apply for CME credit.
Only future-dated KSA study group offerings will be considered for CME.
KSA activities are eligible for 8 Prescribed credits.
KSA FAQ
Organizations approved by the ABFM to host KSA Study Groups may apply for live CME credit through the AAFP Credit System by submitting an application online. KSA Study Group activities must have a future date in order to submit an application for live CME credit. Upon approval, the AAFP Credit System awards 8 AAFP Prescribed credits to KSA Study Group activities.
The CME provider organization must enter the AAFP application ID number and corresponding session number (e.g. 12345-1) in the ABFM portal on the KSA Study Group session page for the credit to be properly recorded as live. You can go to your AAFP application Activity Summary page to find your activity and session number for your KSA Study Group activity.
KSAs may be submitted on either a Simple or Advanced application based on how it is offered.
Simple pathway:
- A single KSA activity offered only once, in one location, and not part of a series
Advanced pathway:
- A single live activity in conjunction with a KSA Study Group activity
- One KSA activity delivered at multiple locations or on multiple dates over a year
As a reminder, KSA Study Group activities must have a future date in order to submit an application for live CME credit to the AAFP Credit System.
The ABFM will automatically transmit CME credits earned to the AAFP for each participant once all requirements have been satisfied through the ABFM. Remember, the CME provider organization must enter the AAFP application and session ID number in the ABFM’s system on the KSA Study Group session page for the KSA credit to report as 8 live AAFP Prescribed credits.
For any questions about submitting an application for CME credit, please contact the AAFP Credit System at cmecredit@aafp.org, or by phone at (800) 274-2237. For any questions on administering a KSA Study Group activity or submitting KSA Study Group data, please contact the ABFM directly at help@theabfm.org, or by phone at (888) 995-5700.
The ABFM will automatically transmit CME credits earned to the AAFP for each participant once all requirements have been satisfied through the ABFM. Remember, the CME provider organization must enter the AAFP application and session ID number in the ABFM’s system on the KSA Study Group session page for the KSA credit to report as 8 live AAFP Prescribed credits.
Enduring materials
Enduring materials are defined as activities based on independent learning materials designed primarily as self-study activities. Examples of enduring material activities are:
- A single enduring activity such as a recorded webcast, occurs once, but does not repeat content and is continuous.
- Enduring material series is a preplanned set of regularly scheduled topics related to a unifying theme under an umbrella title. The intended audience remains the same, and a single learner can complete all sessions within the series.
Medical journals
A medical journal is defined as an activity based on a regularly published collection of articles intended for medical professionals. The participant reads an article, engages in a self-directed phase stipulated by the CME provider that may include reflection, discussion or debate about the article, and completes a pre-determined set of questions or tasks related to the article content. The maximum number of credits will be based on the number of eligible articles.
Performance Improvement
Performance Improvement (PI or PICME) CME activities are structured long-term processes, by which physicians learn about specific performance measures, retrospectively assess their practice, apply performance measures prospectively over a useful interval, and re-evaluate their performance.
Physicians must integrate all of the following three stages and must begin with Stage A:
Stage A: Learning from current practice performance assessment.
Stage B: Learning from the application of performance improvement to patient care.
Stage C: Learning from the evaluation of the performance improvement effort.
PICME activities approved for AAFP credit are also eligible for ABFM Certification Activity points.
PICME FAQ
The AAFP Credit System and the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) collaborated so that CME providers have the option to offer their learners both AAFP CME credit and ABFM certification points depending on the learners’ needs.
CME providers complete an online application for CME credit for Performance Improvement activities through the AAFP Credit System.
If a CME provider is interested in applying for credit through this single application process, then the provider should check the ABFM attestation box in the application to indicate that ABFM Certification Activity points are being sought in conjunction with AAFP CME credit. The CME provider must attest that the CME activity meets the following requirements to be eligible for credit through both entities:
There is no additional fee to receive credit through this single application process. The regular review fee for a Performance Improvement activity will apply.
Upon approval, the AAFP Credit System will email the CME provider an approval letter that contains the AAFP CME credit statement and the ABFM Certification Activity statement. These statements can be used to inform learners that the Performance Improvement activity has been approved for CME credit by the AAFP and certification activity points by the ABFM.
CME providers no longer have to pay for ABFM Certification Activity credit approval. Additionally, CME providers no longer have to submit two separate applications or wait on two separate timelines.
For AAFP members, CME providers should report their completion data directly to AAFP using the AAFP CME Reporting Spreadsheet. AAFP will share this information with ABFM.
For any non-AAFP members participating in your PICME activity who wish to report completion to the ABFM via the AAFP, please follow the steps below:
- The non-AAFP member needs to create an individual AAFP account.
- Once registered, they will be assigned an AAFP ID number, which they should provide to the CME provider.
- Use the PI specific reporting spreadsheet, designed to accommodate AAFP and non-AAFP members, when submitting completion data for the PI activity. (Email cmecredit@aafp.org in order to request the spreadsheet.)
- Send the completed spreadsheet to AAFP Membership at aafp@aafp.org.
- If there are any issues with the learner data submission, AAFP Membership staff will contact you directly.
*If a non-AAFP member does not want to create an AAFP account, then the diplomate will need to report completion through the ABFM’s system as a “Self-Directed Clinical Activity” and contact ABFM directly for any questions on how to report.
Please contact Ann Williamson with the ABFM by email at awilliamson@theabfm.org or by phone (877) 223-7437. She will assist with questions concerning ABFM PICME requirements and ABFM audits.
Point of Care
Point of Care activities are practice-based learning activities that take place in support of specific patient care. The physician uses a computer-based clinical decision-making support tool at the point of care to ask a clinical question, search evidence-based sources for practice recommendations, and apply a recommendation appropriately to the patient.
It is the CME provider's responsibility to ensure that the three parts of the Point of Care learning experience are properly documented. There must be a mechanism—either from the source or from the CME provider—to document the following elements:
The learner's question
The search of an AAFP-approved source
Implementation of new knowledge into practice
*Please note that in 2022 the Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD) determined that e-consults do not qualify as a Point of Care activity.
Blended learning
Blended learning is defined as a single educational activity designed for the same learner(s) that is delivered via multiple formats. Blended learning activities are delivered in two or more of the following:
- Live
- Enduring materials
- Medical journals
- Performance Improvement
- Point of Care
When applying for blended learning, all sessions must be entered during the original credit application submission in order to receive approval of the overall application. The only exception is for multi-site/date sessions. Additional multi-site/date sessions can be added post-submission, if needed.
Repurposed content, such as a live course archived into an enduring material, will not be eligible as a blended learning activity.
Blended learning FAQ
Unfortunately, this is considered repurposed content, which is not eligible under the blended learning activity type. CME providers should submit a simple application for the live event and a repurposed content application for the recording.
You can include multi-site/date components within the blended learning application. However, pricing will be determined by the overall number of credits that are being requested.
Yes, KSA is a session format option that can be included when completing an advanced pathway credit application for a blended learning activity.
Repurposed content
Repurposed content reuses all or some elements of an existing educational activity to expand that content’s reach. Repurposed content is typically transformed into a new format and only includes educational content from the original activity, for example, recording a live activity and making it available as an enduring activity to a different audience.
Repurposed content only applies to simple and advanced pathway approved activities with live in-person or online only, live formats that are being repurposed into enduring activities.
Activities that contain educational content that differs from the original approved live activity are not eligible to be repurposed under the repurposed content fee and would require a separate application and full application fee.
Denied activities and sessions and Translation to Practice® are not eligible to be repurposed.
Repurposed content FAQ
Repurposed activities can be submitted by using the “Repurpose Activity” button on eligible activities located in the overflow menu on the CME Provider Dashboard [NEED LINK].
No. Repurposed content applies to activities with live-in person or online only, live session formats. This does include blended learning applications with live sessions, though only the live sessions on a blended application can be repurposed.
A live activity may only be repurposed one time using the Repurposing Wizard. If you wish to repurpose the live activity additional times, a separate application and full application fee would apply.
CME providers may choose to repurpose all or part of the content from their original live application. While additional content not included on the live application may not be added, CME providers can choose to remove some of the content for the repurposed activity.