What Is Continuing Medical Education (CME)? Types and Examples

The field of healthcare is always advancing, as new technologies and treatment plans are constantly being developed. Healthcare professionals who do not continue learning after leaving school tend to run the risk of being left behind in their practice. Medicine requires ongoing learning to provide patients with the safest and most effective care.

So, how do healthcare professionals stay up to date? The answer lies in Continuing Medical Education (CME). However, CME isn't just a singular course or seminar that professionals must attend. It encompasses all the educational activities that healthcare professionals undertake to maintain and enhance their medical knowledge and skills.

The guide covers the types of CME and the various examples of CME activities. Let's get started.

What Is Continuing Medical Education (CME)?

Continuing Medical Education (CME) is exactly what it sounds like: ongoing education for medical professionals. It is designed to help doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers stay current with new developments in medicine and sharpen their skills.

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an excellent case study for the necessity of CME. New diseases emerge, and subsequently, new treatments and therapies follow suit. Healthcare professionals must be familiar with these advancements to do their jobs well.

For example, a surgeon may have two decades of experience, but they're not well-versed with a new robotic surgical tool. So, they may attend a hands-on workshop to learn how to use it.

CME can cover just about anything that improves a healthcare provider's knowledge and performance. It's not optional, either. In most places, completing a certain number of CME hours is required to maintain a medical license or board certification.

Why Is Continuing Medical Education (CME) Important?

Continuing Medical Education (CME) has been a part of the medical world for as long as there have been medical schools and teaching hospitals. From the early days, doctors and other healthcare professionals have leaned on each other to learn and grow through research discussions and grand rounds. Doctors also share patient cases to engage in peer-to-peer learning.

However, as medicine advanced and the industry became more complex, there was a growing need to formalize these educational experiences. By 1958, CME credits became an official system in the US. They helped doctors track and prove their ongoing education.

Then came the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), whose job is to keep CME trustworthy. The council has created strict standards to protect the integrity of CME so that the content is evidence-based and free from external influence.

So, CME has become somewhat of a necessity at this point. Apart from this, its importance also lies in keeping healthcare professionals informed and sharp. Ongoing education allows healthcare providers to offer optimal patient care and use medical science to its full potential.

Types of Continuing Medical Education (CME)

Typically, CME can be of two types: formal and informal. We'll discuss both below.

Formal or Accredited CME

Formal CME includes all activities or courses that have been certified by an accreditation body, such as the ACCME. The AOA Categories 1A and 2A are examples of formal CME.

Activities that professional medical organizations, such as the American Heart Association, offer are also formal CME. These activities are structured and comply with an accreditation body's guidelines. They may also have evaluations and assessments to gauge the learner's understanding.

Informal or Non-Accredited CME

Healthcare professionals may also partake in self-directed activities to hone their medical knowledge. These activities are not accredited by a regulatory agency, and learners don't get any physician credits for them.

The AAFP Prescribed and Elective is an example of an informal CME activity. However, you must note that entities that require healthcare providers to meet certain CME requirements often do not consider informal CME.

Who Creates Continuing Medical Education (CME) Courses?

Several medical entities can create CME courses that they then offer to healthcare professionals. These include:

• Medical education agencies
• Hospitals
• Medical schools and similar educational institutions
• Professional associations

In 2008, a formal certification was introduced to recognize the professionals who plan and manage CME programs. The certification, awarded by the National Commission for Certification of CME Professionals (NC-CME), required passing a standardized exam and granted successful candidates the title of Certified CME Professional (CCMEP).  

NC-CME also created a registry listing certified individuals, which healthcare professionals can use to find credit CME providers. Since then, the certification has evolved to better reflect the broader field of continuing education in healthcare.

Today, it's known as the Certified Healthcare CPD Professional (CHCP) designation and is now overseen by the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions.

What Are Physician Credits in CME?

Healthcare professionals have to show that they are taking part in CME activities. That's why physician credits were introduced to give them credit for attending CME activities. The purpose of credits is to track the amount of time healthcare professionals dedicate to CME and determine how much they have completed.  

How many credits a professional gets depends on the accrediting body and the type of activity. Typically, one credit translates to 60 minutes of instruction. Every country or state has different requirements for the number of credits a healthcare professional needs in a specific timeframe.

For example, the US has three credit systems. First is the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) credit system, which includes two types of credits: Prescribed and Elective.

Then, there's the American Medical Association (AMA) credit system. It is one of the most widely used systems, open to all medical doctors (MDs), doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs), and international physicians with equivalent degrees.

Lastly, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) introduced its credit system in 1973 specifically for DOs, offering credits in Categories 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B, depending on the type of educational activity.

Outside the US, other countries have their own physician credit systems. For example, in Australia, medical professionals earn CME credits through the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, which is overseen by the Medical Board of Australia.

Examples of Continuing Medical Education (CME) Learning Materials

Healthcare professionals are busy individuals, so it makes sense that many types of CME learning materials are available to them to take at their convenience. The following are common examples.

Live Conferences and Workshops

Traditionally, healthcare professionals gained new knowledge through workshops and conferences. Even today, this method is widely used.

A conference may be multi-day or just for a single day. It generally includes lectures and networking opportunities. Similarly, workshops may also be for one day or span across multiple days. They can include hands-on activities, such as demonstrations and practice sessions.

Conferences and workshops allow for real-time learning since people can ask questions directly to experts. Many of them are also mandatory for professionals in certain fields to attend.

Online Courses

Due to their busy routines, many healthcare professionals get their CME credits through online courses. These courses may be short modules or extensive, in-depth programs, depending on their content.

For example, there may be a course about a new cancer treatment based on recent data and clinical trials around it. A healthcare professional can take these courses at their own pace, which makes it easy for them to fit it into their busy schedules.

Depending on the CME provider, these courses may be made available through online Learning Management Systems (LMS). The CME providers use course creation tools like Coursebox that can integrate with multiple LMSs. Coursebox also boasts AI features to streamline course creation.

For example, its AI assessment and quiz maker can generate end-of-session assessments in seconds. Then, the AI grader can mark them. Coursebox also allows app-based learning, which is suitable for healthcare professionals since they're not always at home in front of a desktop.

Medical Journals and Articles

While not a formal example of CME, medical journals can help healthcare professionals update their knowledge. The articles in these journals are peer-reviewed by top experts in the field. So, journals provide self-directed learning, which keeps medical professionals on top of new breakthroughs and studies.

Case or Simulation-Based Learning

In many cases, the best learning is through real-world examples. In case-based CME, professionals learn from actual patient scenarios. They can then apply these findings to their own patients.

Similarly, in simulation-based learning, virtual reality or other high-tech equipment is used to mimic real-life situations. These could be surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging, and so on. The learners practice new techniques on this virtual model to refine their skills.

Conclusion

Healthcare is one of those fields where lives are at stake. That's why healthcare professionals have to be super-competent all the time. CME helps them do that.

Whether it's through online courses or in-person conferences and workshops, CME is necessary for healthcare professionals to update their knowledge and skills. Tools like Coursebox make it easy for CME providers to curate learning resources for medical professionals. New learning technologies, such as virtual reality and simulations, are also making CME more engaging and effective.