Guidelines for CME Sponsorship of Major Conferences

• Identify a gap in practice of the target audience. (What are physicians not doing that they could do that would improve their patients’ health?) This practice gap should be identified through a needs assessment that is based on documented data.
  • Examples include:
    • Public Health Data
    • Quality Improvement/Risk Management Data
    • State Mandates
    • Chart Audits
    • Epidemiological Data
    • Healthcare Trends
    • Medical Society Guidelines
    • Faculty Meeting Minutes (in which faculty educational needs were discussed)
    • Copies of physician Surveys
    • Physician Self-Assessment
• Call the CME office at (914) 594-3369 to obtain a CME identification number for this conference.
  (The CME number must be included on all correspondence and documentation sent to the CME office.)

Submit the following items to the CME office at least 12 Weeks Prior to the conference:

• Completed Application for CME Sponsorship of a Conference
• Supporting Documentation for the Needs Assessment
• Copies of Curriculum Vitae for each activity faculty member
• Copies of activity faculty invitation or confirmation letters
• Letters must indicate conference title, date, time, and place of lecture, and specific lecture topic and objectives
  (See sample letter.)
• Proposed draft of Conference Announcements (Example: Save the Date notice, Brochure)
  Note: All Brochures and Announcements must be approved by the CME office prior to printing & distribution
  Brochures must include:

1. Presenting Department(s)/Institution(s)/Agency(ies)
2. Target Audience
3. Specific Measurable Learning Objectives
4. CME Disclosure Statement
5. Appropriate CME Sponsorship Statement
6. Method of registering for the conference
7. Acknowledgement of any commercial support received for this conference
8. An agenda or outline of Topics (including the length of time for the program) to be covered at the conference
9. A Statement of Need for the conference
10. CME Accreditation Statement
11. ADA Compliance Statement
12. The location and cost of the conference
13. Contact number for further information
14. NYMC Logo

• Completed Commercial Support Agreement Form for each company providing support for this conference
• Completed Faculty Disclosure statements for each activity faculty and planning member. Any person who refuses to disclose significant financial relationships may NOT participate in the planning or presentation of a CME activity.
  Note: A composite Faculty Disclosure statement must be included in the handouts given at the conference.
• Proposed budget outlining anticipated revenue and expenses for this conference (The CME staff can assist in budget development.)

The following must occur AT the Activity:

• Each attendee must sign in to receive CME credit.
• Each attendee must complete a signed certification of the number of hours of credit he/she is claiming for this activity.
• Each attendee must make a commitment to change at least one practice as a result of participating in this activity
• Each attendee must complete an activity evaluation form.
• Activity Faculty disclosures of any relationship with commercial supporters or manufacturers and/or any discussion of an off-label, experimental, or investigational use of a drug in their presentation must be communicated to the audience prior to the start of the activity, preferably as a part of the syllabus/handout. (Note, if there are no disclosures to be made, this must also be communicated to the audience.)

At the end of the activity submit the following original documents to the CME office:

• Completed Sign-in Sheets/Proof of Attendance Forms with names and addresses typed
• Completed Activity Evaluation Forms
• Completed Activity Director Evaluation Form

• Signed certification by each attendee of the number of credit hours being claimed for this activity

Following the Activity:

• 4-6 months following the activity, document changes in learners’ competence, performance, or patient outcomes achieved as a result of this activity.

• This may be achieved through:

• Follow up survey
• Review of QI data
• Chart Review
• Hospital Discharge Data

Required Statements for Brochures:

CME Accreditation Statement (Directly Sponsored by NYMC Office of CME):
“New York Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

New York Medical College designates this educational activity for a maximum of {enter # of credits here} AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.”

CME Accreditation Statement (Jointly Sponsored by NYMC office of CME and a non-accredited entity):
“This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of New York Medical College and {insert name of non accredited sponsor}. New York Medical College is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

New York Medical College designates this educational activity for a maximum of {enter # of credits here} AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.”

CME Disclosure Statement:
“All activity faculty and planners participating in continuing medical education activities sponsored by New York Medical College are expected to disclose to the audience any significant support or substantial relationship(s) with providers of commercial products and/or devices discussed in their presentation and/or with any commercial supporters of the activity. In addition, all faculty are expected to openly disclose any off-label, experimental, or investigational use of drugs or devices discussed in their presentation.”

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support:

“We gratefully acknowledge {Insert names of commercial supporters} for their generous support of this educational activity.”

revised: 03/03/08