Requirements for Close-out
Our accreditor has the authority to review documentation of any activity that we certify at any time over our accreditation period. During re-accreditation, they choose a random list of files for review called "Performance in Practice". These files can be from any time period of that accreditation (4-6 year time frame).
To ensure that we can provide all information required, we need your help to close out activity records in a timely manner. The file for each activity should be complete before another iteration of that activity can begin, or be re-certified:
- A new grand rounds for the academic year cannot be re-certified until the previous one is complete and closed out.
- All live annual activities should be closed out within 1-3 months of the date of the activity.
- Enduring materials must be closed out at the end of their 3-year certification period.
As each new academic year approaches you may see communications from us that request documents needed to close out the previous year's activities.
What Kind of Information is Needed for Close-out?
Most of the information for the file is obtained during the course of planning the activity with your CME Specialist. A full list of what the file should contain is listed below:
- Basic CME Planning Information:
- CME Application fee paid and documented in the file
- Disclosures for activity planners and presenters must be uploaded into the File
- Disclosure summary or evidence of how disclosure was made to the learners (See more about this in the disclosure section.)
- List of attendees/participants uploaded to the database
- We encourage upload or entry of attendance as soon as possible after each activity session
- Attendees frequently ask for updated transcripts and can access transcripts (Individuals can access transcripts using this self-service portal)
- Evaluations received
- for live annual activities - should be received after the activity;
- for RSS, one evaluation set for each quarter (See more about this in the evaluation section.)
- Evaluations Summarized and uploaded to file [if evaluation is paper-based]
- Promotional materials - Final brochure/flyer/web page promoting the activity
- All marketing materials should list the CME accreditation statement
- JA requires that we document how the accreditation statement was displayed to learners
- Please Note: We have to ensure that all promotional materials are documented in the activity record at the end of an activity, but all promotional content must be forwarded to your CME specialist prior to distribution to ensure that all JA requirements are met
- All marketing materials should list the CME accreditation statement
Each file will be reviewed by a member of the CME staff to determine if all elements of the file are complete. You may be contacted if there are any missing parts or if there are questions surrounding the activity. Your patience and cooperation will be greatly appreciated. You can contact us with any questions you have about the process.
Activities that use any form of commercial support, i.e. grants or paid exhibitors, have some specific requirements that we must ensure are documented in the activity record.
- If the activity received commercial support
- Fully-executed LOA received prior to the activity date (See more about this in the section on managing commercial support)
- Evidence of how acknowledgement of commercial support was provided to the learners (See more about this in the commercial support section)
- Final Income and Expense report documenting how the commercial support was used
- If the activity had exhibitors
- Exhibitor agreement forms must be signed by each exhibitor upon agreement to exhibit.
- The completed forms must be sent to CME either before or directly following the activity.
- Exhibitor agreement forms must be signed by each exhibitor upon agreement to exhibit.