The AAFP Credit System may conduct an audit on your CME activities that have been awarded AAFP credit.
This audit process does not aim to be punitive but rather, it helps ensure that the eligibility requirements are being upheld. While we do occasionally conduct complaint audits, our audits are generally random and aim to be educational. During the audit process, we’ll identify possible areas of improvement and provide feedback on how to improve processes for future activities, so that the CME activities align with our requirements. These eligibility requirements are in place to help create unbiased education from commercial interests, ensure that the content is evidence based, relevant to the scope of family medicine and much more.
The AAFP will contact you by email if your activity is selected for an audit. Be sure to keep your files for at least one year, since an activity can be audited up to one year from the date of the activity approval. Learner participation documents will need to be kept longer.
The AAFP reserves the right to have a live monitor present at any activity approved for AAFP credit and/or perform a post-activity audit.
Random audits help to ensure compliance with AAFP Credit System rules, including the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support.
The AAFP may perform a random audit on any activity that has been awarded AAFP credit, up to one year from the date of the activity approval. The AAFP will contact the CME provider by email if the AAFP accredited activity is selected for an audit.
Random Audit Process
CME activities to be audited are identified by an electronic report that randomly selects CME activities certified by the AAFP. The CME provider supplies all CME activity documentation outlined in the AAFP audit checklist.
CME providers must respond to the audit request by the deadline listed on the audit checklist document.
Complaint audits are conducted when the AAFP is made aware of concerns about any CME activity awarded credit by the AAFP.
Complaint Audit Process
Live (i.e., on-site) audits may be random, or they may be prompted by one or more of the following circumstances:
1. Suspicion of industry influence
2. Pattern of issues with the CME provider’s applications for CME credit
3. Learner/faculty complaint
The AAFP may perform a live audit on any activity that has been awarded AAFP credit.
Live Audit Process
The information from this checklist must be submitted within the Audit Report or within the audit dashboard.
If your activity had commercial support also include the following:
Eligibility Suspension
When an activity is found non-compliant in more than one area in an initial audit, the AAFP COCPD Executive Committee reserves the right to suspend a CME provider’s eligibility to apply for AAFP credit.
Failure to resolve areas of non-compliance identified in an audit will result in an automatic suspension of a CME provider’s eligibility to apply for AAFP credit.
Indication that a CME provider has not followed through on its commitment to resolve areas of non-compliance with reasonable effort will result in automatic suspension of a CME provider’s eligibility to apply for AAFP credit.
Compliance Criteria | Description | |
---|---|---|
Total Compliance | Provided all required documents and procedures meet AAFP criteria and/or ACCME Standards. | |
Substantial Compliance | Provided all the required documents. Minor modifications would bring procedures into total compliance with AAFP criteria and/or ACCME Standards. | |
Noncompliance | Documentation indicates several areas where improvement is needed or one or more major areas of noncompliance. |
Contact AAFP Credit System
cmecredit@aafp.org
(800) 274-2237