2008 VIEW on Medical Education NEEDS ASSESSMENT A comprehensive needs assessment is the first critical step in planning a CME/CE certified activity, because it becomes the foundation on which every step in the planning process is built. Discussions at recent industry meetings, such as the Alliance for CME’s annual meeting and this spring’s Pharmaceutical Alliance for CME (PACME) Summit touched upon the potential of “global” or “universal” needs assessments that could be used to inform all educational activities in a particular disease state across all supporters. Needs Assessment on the Individual Provider Level While many important questions on this concept remain to be answered, the universal or broad needs assessment can still be applied at the individual CME provider level. It exemplifies the CME planning process, as educational needs and gaps are gleaned from a larger view and under standing of a clinical area and not developed narrowly in response to a particular grant request or to “fit” a particular activity. The following are some basic steps for incorporating a universal needs assessment strategy into the fabric of your company. 1. Include the development and maintenance of universal disease state needs assessments in the job descriptions of the scientific and clinical staff. 2. Provide staff with guidelines, processes, and templates for developing needs assessments, along with expectations for maintenance and updating. 3. Designate specific processes for storing needs assessments in a central location, accessible to all staff involved in planning and executing educational activities. 4. Assign staff responsibility for disease states or therapeutic areas. 5. Incorporate review and discussion of universal needs assessment as a regular agenda item in scientific and editorial meetings. 6. Have the needs assessments reviewed periodically by a peer reviewer and your CME director to ensure that they are scientifically and clinically sound, relevant, timely, and independent of commercial influence. 7. Document your needs assessment process according to your organization’s internal CME guidelines and the ACCME’s Standards for Commercial Support. Be sure to include your CME director in the process. Addressing Educational Gaps The goal of responsible CME is to address legitimate educational gaps of the learning audience using the most effective methods possible, with an end result of improved patient care. So what is the best way to ensure that your educational programs meet the needs of your learning audience? Ask them. Consider using the following sources to pinpoint learners’ needs and educational gaps: . Surveys: Many survey tools exist to uncover valuable needs assessment data. These include surveys of participants in past activities, representative samples of key learning audiences, or surveys of an association’s membership, if permitted. Sources such as Survey Monkey or partners such as ePocrates provide electronic surveys or they can be conducted verbally through telephone interviews. . Evaluation results/reports from other educational activities: Evaluations from previous CME/CE activities can provide a wealth of information and may form the basis of ongoing and sequential learning. Evaluations should include open ended questions that allow learners to identify areas of additional educational need and provide suggestions for future topics pertaining to their specialty or area of practice. Ask learners about perceived gaps and barriers to effectively manag ing or treating their patients, relative to specific disease states or ther apeutic areas. . Expert opinion: When seeking expert opinion, it is important to include a mix of academic and clinical professionals, as each may bring a different perspective. For more detailed data, consider holding dis cussions or gathering opinions by specialty, practitioner type, and/or region. . Informal discussions/interviews: An astounding amount of valuable information can be obtained through regular conversation with thought leaders and clinical experts. Take detailed notes during such conversations and don’t hesitate to follow up for additional information. In all cases, it is vital to incorporate this information into global needs assessments for central access. Whenever possible, include or attach information gathered for later access in creating activity specific needs assessments. By building a strong needs assessment foundation for your CME enterprise, the activities and education identified through this universal, 1,000 foot view can be built on legitimate, scientifically sound, and unbiased educational needs. # Innovia Education Institute LLC, INNOVIA EDUCATION INSTITUTE LLC, Columbia, Md., is dedicated to independent, science based education for health care providers that meets the highest standards of Fair balance and evidence based education with the ultimate goal of improving patient care. For more information, visit innoviaeducation.com. Incorporating Universal Needs Assessments In CME Planning: Benefits of the 1,000Foot View By building a strong needs assessment foundation for your CME enterprise, the activities and education identified through this universal, 1,000 foot view can be built on legitimate, scientifically sound, and unbiased educational needs. Sarah Mooney, Director, Strategic Planning & Development INNOVIA Education Institute LLC

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