AAFP Credit System News
Stay up to date on the ever-changing environment of CME!
Learn how the AAFP Credit System is involved in making the jobs of CME providers easier so they can continue providing quality education for family physicians and other members of the health care team.
AAFP Credit System Launches Revised Requirements
The AAFP Credit System, overseen by the AAFP’s Commission on Continuing Professional Development (COCPD), published its revised eligibility requirements for AAFP CME credit after conducting a call for comment with CME providers and the CME community. The revisions are intended to increase the transparency of requirements as well as to expand the eligibility for non-clinical topics.
As a reminder, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) released the new ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education (the Standards) back in December 2020 (previously the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support).
The Standards, which are one component of the AAFP’s eligibility requirements, are designed to ensure that accredited CME provides health care professionals with accurate, balanced, evidence-based information that supports safe and effective patient care. The new Standards will clarify and modernize the Standards, ensuring continued relevance and effectiveness in the changing health care environment.
The AAFP was involved in the initial development of the Standards in 1992 as well as these recent updates. The AAFP has continued to adopt the new Standards. Implementation of the new Standards began on January 11, 2022.
The revised requirements and new Standards apply to any credit application submitted on or after January 11, 2022.
- Check out the Standards Transition Checklist and the Identification, Mitigation, and Disclosure Toolkit.
- View the updated decision tree for staff and CME providers to align with the revised eligibility requirements.
- Watch the revised requirements webcast.
Questions about these changes? Call our team at (800) 274-2237 or email us.
New! Repurposed Content Option for Live Activities
The AAFP Credit System has officially launched a solution for CME providers to repurpose all or some elements of an existing live educational activity into an enduring activity. This streamlined process allows CME providers to repurpose all, or some elements, of an existing live educational activity into an enduring activity for a flat fee of $325. This technological solution acts as a convenient alternative to the full fees and manual process previously required to submit activities as both live and enduring using two separate applications.
For more information, check out the FAQs or watch the tutorial on how-to apply for repurposed content.
Reduced Application Review Turnaround Times
It’s official! The AAFP Credit System has lowered its CME credit application review turnaround times from 20 to 15 business days.
We want to help make your jobs easier as CME providers so that you can focus on creating and providing certified and relevant CME to family physicians and other members of their healthcare team. The AAFP Credit System has worked diligently to lower its CME credit application turnaround times, a decision made after hearing feedback from you and your peers through our annual survey.
Questions about these changes? Call our team at (800) 274-2237 or email us.
New Pricing Structure
On June 1, 2021, the AAFP Credit System launched its new review fee pricing structure. As part of this new structure, enduring material review fees were lowered by 25%. View the pricing structure.
Questions About Producing Online Education
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused uncertainty about future CME activities, and many providers are now looking to produce online (in real-time) or enduring (recorded) education.
To help you navigate these uncharted times, the AAFP Credit System has compiled frequently asked questions about producing online education. View FAQs.
COVID-19 Resources for CME Providers
The AAFP Credit System is committed to supporting CME providers through the COVID-19 crisis.
Activities Impacted by COVID-19:
If you’ve already submitted your credit application, we are offering the following options:
- Activities in a pending review status: The activity can be canceled and a full refund issued.
- Activities in an approved status:
- If your activity is being rescheduled, we can adjust the dates within the credit application.
- If your activity has been postponed and the reschedule date is unknown, we can change the status to canceled and re-activate the application when new dates are selected.
If you are converting your activity from Live to Enduring, we can convert your application to an Enduring Material without any additional fees.
Reminder: Live Online is Still Considered Live
Live online activities are considered live and are still eligible for CME credit under either the “In-Person, Live (could include online)” or “Online Only, Live” session formats. This includes any live online activities that meet our eligibility requirements regardless of the technology used (Zoom, Webex, Google Hangouts, etc.).
Contact Us
If changes are needed to your credit application, or you would like to discuss your options for an upcoming activity, please contact the AAFP Credit System team at 800-274-2237 or cmecredit@aafp.org.