Outcomes Measurement Continuing Medical Education Comes Full Circle: Today’s environment is highly conducive to successful education Marsha Meyer, R.Ph. Senior VP, Clinical Information The Office of Inspector General (OIG) guidelines extend accountability to the pharmaceutical industry, requiring manufacturers to uphold ethical standards similar to those that, for years, have guided providers accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Most have digested the guidelines, put necessary processes in place to ensure compliance, and are working to train staff and determine the most appropriate ways to support continuing medical education (CME) in this new regulatory environment. This will enable ongoing improvements in patient care, since the pharmaceutical industry is a tremendous supporter of CME. Many signs point to a resurgence in commercial support for CME in the near future. This comes at a critical time, when malpractice insurance and other exorbitant management costs make it increasingly difficult for clinicians, physicians in particular, to find alternative education sources to help them stay current and deliver high-quality care. Commercial supporters also understand that recent industry regulations have led to some major changes in CME. Such developments as advanced outcomes measurement and more widespread adoption of conflict of interest safeguards have created an environment that strengthens accountability and ensures progress is measured against goals outlined during the needs assessment. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, clinicians, and, most importantly, patients will benefit as the resurgence of support enables providers of CME to help a great deal of clinicians. Advanced Outcomes Measurement Although outcomes measurement means different things to different groups in CME, some leading providers are extending outcomes measurement to three and six months following education delivery, gauging education’s long-term impact on patient care and the daily lives of clinician learners. Previously, most providers conducted needs assessment and then delivered education to correct knowledge voids in the healthcare community. Through activity surveys, providers attempted to gauge the effectiveness of the education, perceived level of bias, whether clinician learners were engaged during the session, and whether they learned about new tools, procedures, and information. Seeing this as an opportunity to provide more substantial evidence of CME’s effectiveness, select providers now offer more complete and effective outcomes measurement. This creates more effective CME programs that consist of needs assessment, education delivery, and outcomes measurement. During needs assessment, providers determine whether gaps exist between actual and optimal clinician knowledge levels. Next, CME provides clinicians with the knowledge required to close this gap. Finally, during outcomes measurement, providers determine clinician learners’ initial understanding, ongoing information retention, and practical application of new knowledge and tools. The process comes full circle to offer unsurpassed evidence of the education’s effectiveness by revisiting needs assessment during outcomes measurement to determine the impact on patient care and whether a gap still exists. Managing needs assessment as an ongoing process improves the overall quality of education available to clinicians, and more widespread adoption of conflict of interest safeguards is also driving improvements. Widespread Adoption of Bias Safeguards Processes to ensure fair and balanced programs and to identify and resolve conflicts of interest have long been in place for most providers, but regulations are increasing the profile of these requirements throughout the industry. These longstanding internal safeguards are now frequently shared with commercial supporters. Pharmaceutical manufacturers should expect any reputable provider to offer full disclosure of their processes to identify and resolve conflicts of interest during the grant request process or as part of any capabilities presentation. This helps create an environment more conducive to effective continuing medical education. Full disclosure of processes provides commercial supporters with the documentation they need to rest assured providers are developing CME in a compliant fashion and adequately resolving conflicts of interest. Just as it has for many years, CME improves patient care. As CME providers offer advanced outcomes measurement and documentation of their compliant content development and faculty recruitment processes, education will become even more effective and increasingly measurable. As commercial supporters become more confident in the current CME process, clinicians and providers alike hope they will return to frequently supporting these much-needed CME programs. CME LLC, Irvine, Calif., is a provider of fully accredited continuing medical education programs and offers a wide range of educational resources for healthcare professionals. For more information, visit cmellc.com. August 2005 VIEW on Medical Education CME Comes Full Circle Needs Assessment Identifies gaps between ideal and actual clinician knowledge levels on various disease states. Outcomes Measurement Evaluates the acquisition and retention of knowledge; results form the basis for continuing needs assessment. Continuing Medical Education Aims to close this knowledge level gap among clinicians.

Download PDF