SACME would like to introduce members to a new option for communicating with other members via our online message boards (members only). For many years SACME has hosted a listserv for member discussions.

Listserves work in this way: A member sends a message to one email address and all members subscribing to that listserv receive the message via email and any replies are also sent to all subscribers. This is very effective but in some cases the disadvantage is that members may get emails they have no interest in, they may accidentally send emails, or get out-of-office rejections.

In contrast, message boards work in this way: Members may access the boards online to post or review questions and discussions. In addition, the member – at their own choosing – may subscribe to certain topics of interest to receive emails when a new message is posted on that topic. SACME has created multiple topics to which you may subscribe and you may recommend additional topics to the Communications Committee. You may also choose the frequency with which to receive the email notices (daily, weekly, immediate).

Access the tutorial here.

Use/view the message boards here.

This year, SACME partnered with the CME Section of the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs to create a presence throughout the AAMC 2011 Annual Meeting. The “CE/PI Track” focused on the role of Continuing Education, Professional Development, and Improvement in Transforming the Health Care System.  Presentations from the event have been posted to the AAMC web site. Click here or below for the presentation you would like to download:

https://www.aamc.org/members/gea/gea_sections/cmesection/266954/2011_annual_meeting_presentations.html

Sunday, November 6

Session 1: Transforming Health Care Systems: The Role of Continuing Medical Education - From Classroom CME to Community-based CPD

This opening plenary session provided a conversation about the value of Continuing Medical Education, Continuing Professional Development, and Performance Improvement in changing health care systems. Perspectives from an established integrated CME/CPD presence (the University of South Carolina) and an evolving program in a regional medical campus (VCU-Inova Campus) invigorated the audience and opened the dialogue for the duration of the meeting.

From Classroom CME to Community CPD: The Reporter's Five Questions 
Morris J. Blachman, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Continuous Professional Development & Strategic Affairs, University of South Carolina School of Medicine

Continuing Education and Faculty Development: The Regional Medical Campus Perspective 
Craig Cheifetz, M.D., Assistant Dean for Medical Education and Student Affairs - Inova Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

Session 2: The Role of CE, CPD, and Quality Improvement: Strange Bedfellows, Effective Partners

Several AMCs have begun to develop educational interventions derived from and aimed at closing quality care gaps. Presenters from the AAMC’s pilot 'ae4Q' (Aligning and Educating for Quality) project and others discussed their joint CME and QI efforts – focusing on quality, OPPE and FPPE (new Joint Commission issues), accreditation, and other metrics.

Investing in Strategic Continuous Professional Development (CPD) 
Elizabeth Ann Bower, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Dean, CME, Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

Quality Initiatives Meet Our Educational Programs 
Janis M. Orlowski, M.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Washington Hospital Center

Monday, November 7

Session 3: The Value of CME in Transforming Health Care: Integrating Cost, Quality, and Continuing Medical Education

This session featured two contrasting, chronological perspectives in ‘CME’. The nation’s longest-standing dean spoke on the evolution of CME from a conference-only orientation to an integrated, effective CME/CPD presence in the academic medical center - a presence able to support or direct change in clinicians’ practice. Key to this integration are new payment systems, joint quality/educational efforts, and other elements. The session also provided the perspective of the dean of a newly-founded school, addressing the question, 'What value does CME bring to the development and function of a medical school or academic medical center?'

Personal Observations on the Evolution of CME in Colorado 
Richard D. Krugman, M.D., Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, Dean, School of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine

CME in a New Medical School 
Hal Jenson, MD, Dean, School of Medicine, Western Michigan University School of Medicine

Session 4-A: Using Technology to Transform Connections in CME and in Patient Centered Care

This session offered a review of new tools available to CME providers (IT, telehealth, and social media) to transform connections and enhance capabilities in communication, education, and outreach.

Telehealth: Alignment with the Missions of Our Academic Medical Centers 
Karen S. Rheuban, M.D., Sr. Associate Dean, CME & External Affairs, University of Virginia School of Medicine

CME and SoMe Opportunities 
W. Alston Roberts, Social Media Specialist AV/COMM, AAMC

Next Wave eHit and You 
Robert W. Morrow, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Montefiore Medical Center

Session 4-B: Hot Topics: New Content, New Questions

This session explored Risk Evaluation Management Strategies (REMS) - a new content area for academic CE - and provided a snapshot of findings from the Harrison 2011 Survey.

REMS: It’s Not Just for Sleeping Anymore - If You Snooze, You Lose!
A Review of the Evolution of the REMS for Certain Opioid Drugs and Its Potential Ramifications on Clinical Practice 
J. David Haddox, DDS, MD. Vice President, Health Policy. Purdue Pharma L.P.

2011 AAMC/SACME Survey in Academic CME “The Harrison Survey” 
David Davis, M.D., Sr. Director, Continuing Education & Performance Improvement, AAMC

Session 5: Using CME and PI to Transform Health Systems Moving from Knowledge to Action, from Action to Outcomes

Moderated by Barbara Barnes, M.D., M.S. (Associate Dean for CME, Associate Vice Chancellor for Continuing Education & Industry Support, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine) and Gabrielle Kane, M.D., M.B.B.S., Ed.D. (Associate Professor, Department of Medical Education and Biomedical Informatics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine), this town hall session permitted a discussion of the new CE/PI-SACME track, and lessons to ‘take home’. The latter included building community linkages, integrated health systems, and quality improvement, and the value of an effective, robust CME/CPD presence.

Tuesday, November 8

Session 6: ae4Q: Aligning and Educating for Quality - Results from the Pilot

Using a logic model to organize highlights from eleven pilot sites, this packed session heard a discussion of the AAMC’s ‘ae4Q’ initiative - aligning the CME/CPD enterprise with the quality mission of the Academic Medical Center.

Aligning & Educating for Quality (ae4Q) and Teaching for Quality (Te4Q) 
Nancy Davis, Ph.D., Director, Practice Based Learning & Improvement, AAMC

Logic Framework for Program Evaluation 
Abi Sriharan, MSc, DPhil Candidate, University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital

Application of ACCP Evidence Based CME Guidelines: An ae4Q Initiative
Development and Utilization of Evidence Based Educational Content Delivery Tool in VTE QI Project 
Susan K. Pingleton, M.D., Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center

Aligning and Educating for Quality: The Colorado Experience 
Ronald S. Gibbs, M.D., Associate Dean for CME, University of Colorado School of Medicine

Session 7: MedEdPORTAL: A Platform for Continuing Education & Performance Improvement

This panel presentation highlighted several new developments in the CE-PI arena - Aligning and Educating for Quality resources (ae4Q), Teaching for Quality (Te4Q), and Online Learning for Physician Credit.

MedEdPORTAL: A Platform for Continuing Education & Performance Improvement 
MedEdPORTAL: Building the Continuum - Michael Saleh, Sr. Specialist, MedEdPORTAL, AAMC
The Case for CE/PI and MedEdPORTAL - David Davis, M.D., Sr. Director, Continuing Education & Performance Improvement, AAMC
Teaching for Quality - Nancy Davis, Ph.D., Director, Practice Based Learning & Improvement, AAMC

Brenda Johnson, MEd, CCMEP, received the award of Distinguished Member in the Alliance, to be acknowledged at the Alliance's Awards Ceremony, Sunday, January 22, 2012, in Orlando.

SACME is pleased to announce that Jim Norton, PhD, has been appointed to complete the term of Southern Region Representative previously held by Pam McFadden who has moved in to the Presidency track for the Society. 

Dr. Norton is the Associate Dean for Educational Engagement at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and Director of UK HealthCare CECentral, the medical center’s continuing education office serving medicine and pharmacy. He is the Associate Director of the Office of Health Research and Development. Dr. Norton is past President of the Kentucky Rural Health Association and served as the Chair of the Research and Education Constituency Group of the NRHA. He has served as the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs (GEA) Liaison to the Group on Resident Affairs (GRA) and was the Chair of the GME Section of the GEA. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the AAMC’s MedEdPortal. He is a graduate in psychology from the University of San Francisco and did his post-graduate studies at the University of Arizona. He then took post-doctoral training in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Wisconsin. He holds a joint appointment as Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.

The Southern Region of SACME currently has 63 members.

Tanya Horsley^1,*,Chris Hyde², Nancy Santesso³, Julie Parkes⁴, Ruairidh Milne⁵, Ruth Stewart⁶  Editorial Group: Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group  Published Online: 9 NOV 2011 Assessed as up-to-date: 16 JUN 2011

Link to publication.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the Final Rule on changes to the conflict of interest regulations regarding research. The Department says the changes provide "a framework for identifying, managing, and ultimately avoiding investigators' financial conflicts of interest."

Major changes to the regulations include the definition of significant financial interest (SFI), the extent of investigator disclosure, the information reported to the Public Health Service (PHS) awarding component, the information made accessible to the public, and investigator training.

Formal publication will be in the Federal Register, however the full text is available on-line.

Continuing Medical Education: Looking Back, Planning Ahead - edited by Dennis Wentz, MD, is now available for purchase.  A list of recommended books and books published by SACME members is available by clicking the link:

Books by SACME Members

• The spirit of current workplace legislation in many jurisdictions suggests that healthcare organizations may have an assumed legal responsibility to give employees reasonable, incidental access to social media sites while at work.
• As a practical matter, blocking access to social media sites means blocking access to the World Wide Web, which is increasingly "social" in all aspects.
• The risk of not having a social media presence is far greater than avoiding it and it is a duty of healthcare boards to mitigate reputational risk in a sustained and proactive manner.

The Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education has posted a response to the ABMS/ACCME Joint Working Group on MOC CME entitled "White Paper: CME for MOC".

Access SACME's response here.

Other organization's responses:

• CMSS Response
• AMA Council on Medical Education Responses