Yes, we do allow retroactive credit (meaning the activity/session has occurred in the past). However, the activity/session must be submitted within 365 days of occurring.
CME providers should review the CME activity types along with the Pathways and Session Formats. This information will inform which credit application pathway the CME provider should select when filling out a credit application.
There are three ways in which an AAFP active or life member can be involved in the CME activity to meet the requirement for Prescribed credit. Those ways are:
If you need help acquiring an AAFP active or life member, you can contact your local state AAFP chapter and they may be able to assist in connecting you with a member or you can contact your local hospital for assistance.
Yes. The AAFP Credit System accredits activities on a per activity basis, so each CME activity has to be submitted for review even if It’s been approved in the past. There is an option to copy an activity from the previous application’s Activity Summary screen, which can help CME providers save some time when reapplying for activities each year.
It is important to note that previous CME credit determination decisions do not influence current application reviews. This is in part because rules change and evolve over time, along with the CME environment. Therefore, prior CME credit approvals are not a guarantee that future applications or sessions will be approved.
If an organizational account already exists, please call or email the Credit System to be linked to that organizational account. If the organization has not previously applied for credit, please submit a request for a new organization setup.
The AAFP Credit System cannot evaluate the educational content for compliance with its eligibility requirements without the titles and learning objectives. Providing this information up front will also help expedite the review process.
No. There is not a set number of learning objectives that must be submitted for each individual topic, or session, within the CME activity. The number of learning objectives should correspond to the length of the session and the content being covered. A general rule of thumb is three to five learning objectives for each topic/session.
CME providers can provide the individual learning objectives for each topic/session under the Educational Content section in the credit application. The information can be provided in the following ways:
No. CME providers should only submit the titles and learning objectives for the educational content that they wish to accredit. If the Credit System staff need additional information to complete the review, then we will request it at that time.
No. CME providers do not need to submit a list of faculty and speaker's names involved within the activity. Credit System staff also do not need to see faculty member’s CV’s or resumes as that information doesn’t inform the outcome of the application review.
The advanced pathway application requires that a minimum of one session be added in order to continue to payment and submission. All sessions entered must be in a pending submission status, meaning each session has been filled out entirely and there is no missing information. You should verify the number of sessions you have entered and the status of each session.
CME providers have the option to purchase additional credits beyond what is entered at the time of initial application submission and payment for enduring material and medical journal advanced pathway credit applications This option is beneficial for CME providers with pre-planned content who anticipate submitting additional sessions for credit after initial application approval and would like to streamline the process by paying for those additional credits in advance. This allows the CME provider to return to the system later and add additional sessions/credits to the application without going through the payment process again. Please note that while pre-paying for credits is only available at the time of application submission, if additional credits beyond what was paid are needed, providers can call the Credit System in order to pay for additional credits later once the maximum number of credits paid for are entered.
Several pages within a credit application are tied to application fees, including session format, outcomes methods, and credits, so they are not editable once an invoice has been downloaded. Please email or call the Credit System if this information needs to be updated after an invoice has been downloaded. Staff will make these changes on your behalf.