Kim Vadas, MABMH, CHCP, FACEHP, CMS Director of Continuing Medical Education and Recognized Accreditor Programs

The Colorado Medical Society’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) program aims to enhance learners’ awareness, knowledge, competence, and performance across several critical domains. These key areas include patient safety, professional accountability, quality improvement, patient access to care, and current medical and technical skills knowledge. By focusing on these aspects, the program strives to equip health care professionals with the latest insights and capabilities, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes and a more efficient health care system in Colorado. This comprehensive approach ensures that learners not only gain theoretical understanding but also develop practical skills that can be directly applied in their medical practice, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence in health care delivery.

CMS is recognized by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) as an accreditor of intrastate/interstate providers of CME and is also accredited by ACCME to provide CME for physicians.

CME is a crucial component of professional development for health care providers, ensuring they stay current with the latest advancements in medical science and patient care. CME involves educational activities that develop, maintain, or increase the skills, knowledge, and professional performance of physicians and other health care professionals. The importance of CME cannot be overstated. It helps health care providers stay up to date with rapidly evolving medical technologies, techniques, and best practices. This continuous learning process is essential for maintaining high standards of patient care and safety. CME also offers opportunities for health care professionals to gain new skills, experience professional development, and advance their careers.

Accreditation in
medical education

Accreditation plays a vital role in ensuring the quality and integrity of CME programs. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) oversees and enforces standards for CME in the United States. Only organizations approved by the ACCME or recognized state medical associations can designate and award CME credits to physicians. 

Accredited CME programs offer several key benefits: 

• Quality assurance: Accreditation ensures that medical education programs meet specified quality standards, protecting patients’ wellbeing and the integrity of the health care system. 
• Independence from commercial influence: Accredited CME providers must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that educational content is free from commercial bias. 
• Relevance and effectiveness: Accredited CME is designed to be relevant to physicians’ needs, practice-based, and effective in improving health care outcomes. 
• Recognition for licensing and certification: Many state medical boards and professional organizations accept only accredited CME credits for maintaining licenses, certifications, and professional memberships. 

Accredited CME plays an invaluable role in helping physicians and health care professionals improve patient care. For physicians, accredited CME can improve performance by focusing on the unique needs of the individual learner, while for organizations it can be a catalyst for change by providing practical solutions to many of their most pressing or urgent problems.

Did you know accredited CME has been shown to:

• Improve patient safety: One of the most effective methods for improving physician performance.¹
• Control spending: Unnecessary medical procedures, prescriptions, and hospital readmissions are averted.^2,3
• Increase physician recruitment and retention: CME has been linked to a decrease in physician burnout and turnover.^4,5,6

Impact on health care

The benefits of CME extend beyond individual health care providers to impact the broader health care system: 

• Improved patient care: By keeping health care professionals updated on the latest medical developments, CME directly contributes to better patient outcomes and experiences. 
• Enhanced patient safety: Accredited medical schools are more likely to offer rigorous clinical training programs and emphasize patient safety measures. 
• Ethical practice: CME programs often include a focus on ethical principles and professionalism, contributing to a culture of responsible medical practice. 
• Standardization of medical education: Accreditation helps standardize medical education across different regions, promoting consistency in health care delivery. 
• Global mobility: Accredited education facilitates the mobility of medical professionals across different health care systems and countries.

Challenges and future directions

While the importance of CME is widely recognized, the field faces ongoing challenges. These include ensuring that CME activities translate into meaningful improvements in clinical practices and patient outcomes. There is a growing emphasis on outcomes-based education, designed to prepare physicians for broader aspects of competence beyond medical expertise. The future of CME is likely to see increased integration of technology, such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, to enhance learning experiences. There may also be a greater focus on interprofessional education to improve team-based care and communication among different health care specialties and within care teams. 

In conclusion, continuing medical education, particularly when it is accredited programs, plays a crucial role in maintaining and improving the quality of health care. It ensures that medical professionals remain competent, confident, and capable of providing the best possible care to their patients throughout their careers. As the medical field continues to evolve, the importance of robust, accredited CME programs will only grow, serving as a cornerstone of excellence in health care delivery. CMS’s accredited CME program plays a vital role in ensuring Colorado’s health care professionals remain competent and capable of providing high-quality patient care in an ever-evolving medical landscape.

To learn more about CMS’s educational offerings go to www.cms.org and click on the Education tab.

To find out how to become a CME accredited provider or how to have your activity accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM email us at CME@CMS.org.

References

Cervero, Ronald, and Julie Gaines. “The Impact of CME on Physician Performance and Patient  Outcomes: An Updated Synthesis of Systematic Reviews.” Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions 35, no. 2 (2015): 131-138.

Cook, David A., Chistopher R. Stephenson, John M. Wilkinson, Stephen Maloney, and Jonathan Foo. “Cost-effectiveness and Economic Benefit of Continuous Professional Development for Drug Prescribing: A Systematic Review.” JAMA Network Open (2022).

Decreases in patient readmissions were reported by ACCME-accredited providers who achieved Accreditation with Commendation in July 2021-March 2022.

Griebenow, Reinhard, Henrik Hermann, Michael Smith, Mohamed Bassiony, Arcadi Gual, Philip K. Li, Essam Elsayed, Robert D. Schaefer, Siham A. Sinani, and Graham T. McMahon. “Continuing Education As a Contributor to Mitigating Physician Burnout.” Journal of CME 12, no. 1 (2023).

McMahon, Graham T. “The Leadership Case for Investing in Continuing Professional Development.” Academic Medicine 92,no. 8 (2017): 1075-1077.

National Academy of Medicine. “National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being.” The National Academies Press (2022): 64.