The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), to provide continuing medical education for physicians. As required by the ACCME, all activities designated by ACAAI for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ must comply with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria, Policies, and Standards for Commercial SupportSM including activities planned and implemented through Joint Providership.

Any activity to be considered for Joint Providership must be aligned with both the mission of the ACAAI and the definition of continuing medical education (CME) as specified by the ACCME.  All applications for Joint Providership will be assessed based on their individual merits. The ACAAI reserves the right to accept or deny Joint Providership of individual CME activities, at its own discretion. The Joint Provider must agree to follow all policies, procedures, and formats as set forth by the ACAAI.

ACAAI RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Certifies activities for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM and collaborate with the Joint Provider to ensure that all ACCME Accreditation Criteria, Policies, and Standards for Commercial SupportSM are met
  • Hold an initial consultation meeting to discuss the CME planning process and  review  responsibilities
  • Provide Joint Providership, templates, checklists, and forms for activity design process and ACCME documentation
  • Review and approve Joint Providership Application and provide ongoing consultation as appropriate
  • Apply for commercial support on behalf of Joint Provider
  • Review, approve, and sign Letters of Agreement (commercial support, monetary or in‐kind)
  • Review and approve all advance marketing materials
  • Review CME Compiled COI form and provide guidance on acceptable mechanisms to resolve any conflicts of interest
  • Review and approve all onsite program materials and/or educational content
  • Provide participants online access to course materials, evaluations, credit claiming and certificates
  • Provide technical support to participants claiming credit
  • Provide Evaluation Reports to Joint Provider on or before 30 days following activity
  • Complete and submit Commercial Supporter Reconciliation report if applicable
  • Review final documentation for ACCME compliance
  • Maintain participant online access to credit certificates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • Maintain participant roster and CME activity file documentation for 6 years

 

NON-ACCREDITED JOINT PROVIDER RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Carefully review all Joint Providership Application materials, required documentation, and deadlines in order to comply with the requirements specified by ACAAI; the deadline for submission of the Joint Providership Application is 4 months in advance of activity date.
  • Convene Planning Committee to:
    • Collect disclosures,document the identification and resolution of any conflicts of interest, and submit the CME Compiled COI Form
    • Identify professional practice gap(s) based on internal or external data sources
    • Determine the needs of learners (e.g., knowledge, competence, performance) that underlie the professional practice gap(s)
    • Analyze practice gap(s), learners’ needs, and determine desired result(s) of educational intervention (e.g., to change competence, performance, patient outcomes) to formulate educational objectives
    • Identify target audience
    • Design educational content and format(s) considering desirable physician attributes and adult learning principles
    • Determine if there are any barriers for learners to accept and integrate the desired changes
    • Determine if any non-educational strategies can be used to reinforce the educational objectives following the activity
    • Determine if the activity will benefit from collaboration and cooperation with other ACAAI initiatives or external stakeholders
    • Select expert faculty, and identify/resolve any conflicts of interest
    • Determine funding, following the requirements of the ACCME Standards for Commercial SupportSM
    • Develop advance marketing materials
    • Develop activity agenda and other onsite program materials
    • Submit agenda for designation of credit.
  • Submit Joint Providership Applications
  • Participate in initial consultation meeting with ACAAI
  • Secure venue/facility for activity, as appropriate
  • Create preliminary budget
  • Faculty management:
    • Confirm faculty
    • Request Faculty/Planner Relevant Financial Disclosure Forms
    • Resolve COIs according to ACAAI and ACCME policies
  • Obtain ACAAI approval on all promotional materials prior to printing and dissemination
  • Obtain ACAAI approval of program materials and acknowledgements
  • Make all disclosures (e.g., relevant financial relationships, faculty relationships with Commercial Supporter and with products or services being discussed, etc.) to learners prior to the start of the activity
  • Acknowledge commercial support to the audience prior to the beginning of the activity, if applicable
  • Conduct education activity
  • Collect activity attendance information
  • Provide Excel Attendance File to the ACAAI
  • Draft Evaluation Summary, based on evaluation report from ACAAI and using the ACAAI summary template
  • Complete and submit to the ACAAI within 45 days following the activity: Evaluation Summary, final budget, and any other information required to complete and close out the activity file.