Writing learning objectives for CME proposals and activities

Interesting in a career in the CME industry? When's the last time you wrote a needs assessment that included a proposed agenda and a set of proposed learning objectives? Johanna Lackner Marx MPH, MSW from InQuill Medical Communications, LLC has posted a free webinar about writing CME learning objectives. Her presentation is titled, "Writing Educational Objectives to Meet ACCME’s Updated Criteria." She covers some of the recent changes that have impacted the CME industry. You can access the webinar here.

Speaking of medical writing and the medical communications industry, there are many people out there who offer career services to help physicians and scientists "break in" to the medical communication industry. There are so many ways to enter the industry and writing isn't the only way. There are opportunities related to business development, strategic planning, project management, educational design, and collaborative partnerships. Of course, if you enjoy writing, then maybe you'll be happy as a medical writer or medical director. I've been working in this industry for the last 5 years and I've enjoyed it. Contact me if you'd like to learn more about physician careers in medical communications.

Fewer MECCs (medical education companies) staying in the CME industry

There are fewer medical education companies (also known as medical education and communication companies or MECCs) that are now in the CME industry. Ever since the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education) revised its "Standards for Commercial Support" in 2007, some medical education companies have struggled to survive because they were associated with a marketing agency. Furthermore, when certain commercial supporters announced that they would no longer directly fund MECCs to develop certified continuing education, more companies struggled.  Now, we see even fewer MECCs in the CME industry because of the overall reductions in industry support and the heightened scrutiny from various regulating bodies and the public. Will the CME industry survive? I believe it will, but I also think it will continue to go through changes. Physicians, nurses, and pharmacists will always need continuing education to maintain their licensure.

So, how many MECCs are still staying in the CME business? The numbers are getting smaller. We can see that fewer companies are now represented as members of the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC). You can view the list of member companies here. This list used to be considerably larger, but it's getting smaller. While some companies are dropping out of CME, new companies are forming as well.

The shrinking CME industry

The CME (certified continuing medical education) industry is shrinking. According to the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education), there has been a significant reduction in CME providers. Here's how MMM (Medical Marketing & Media) puts it in the recent story, "ACCME reports industry shrinkage"

In the last 12 months, 142 medical-education providers either lost their accreditation to offer CME or decided not to apply for renewal, said the ACCME in a report issued last Friday. The tally includes med-ed companies, societies, hospitals and other entities which, for a variety of reasons, have found it too difficult to offer certified activities or, in some cases, to remain in operation at all...  There are now 713 accredited providers (vs. 725 in 2008) and 1,523 providers accredited by ACCME-recognized state and territory medical societies (vs. 1,600 in 2008).

Wow, 142 seems like a really large number (roughly 20% of 700). I personally know that quite a few CME companies have chosen to leave the CME industry to pursue opportunities focused on promotional medical education, advertising, etc. I really enjoy working in the CME industry, but I admit that I wonder about the future of this industry.

AMA - National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration

The CME (continuing medical education) industry has its own set of rules and regulations that are governed primarily by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). How well do you know those rules? To learn more about the CME industry, you can attend some national meetings. There are many different conferences regarding the CME industry, but I generally attend two of them (I like to limit my travel).

• The first one is the AMA - National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration. This meeting is in October and tends to stay in the Baltimore region.
  
• The second meeting is the Alliance for CME Annual Conference. This meeting is in January (this year, in New Orleans)
  

This year, AMA - National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration will be in Baltimore, so it's not that far for all those living in the northeast:

Mark your calendars to attend the 20th Annual Conference of the National Task Force on CME Provider/Industry Collaboration, "Learning From the Past; Planning for the Future", to be held Oct. 14-16, 2009 in Baltimore! This conference will provide the opportunity to network and participate in dynamic sessions with leading industry experts.

For more information about AMA Task Force conference, read the program brochure.
I hope to see you in Baltimore next month.

Careers in CME

Many people have been asking me about the CME (continuing medical education) industry. Most CME companies (also referred to as medical education and communication companies or MECCs) rely on funds from pharmaceutical companies to develop educational programs. To learn more about MECCs, I'd encourage you to take a look at the North American Association of Medical Education and Communication Companies, Inc., (NAAMECC) website.

There's an old, but interesting article on Medscape titled, "Medical Education and Communication Companies: How Ideal a Fit for Pharmacists?" It was published in 2003 and the world of CME has evolved dramatically over the last few years. Why? Because guidelines have changed and many pharma companies have reduced their funding for CME. Several MECCs (that only focus on CME) have closed recently. In the past, many MECCs used to work on a combination of CME and non-CME activities. These types of MECCs (that develop both CME and non-CME activities) are starting to disappear because of the stricter guidelines imposed by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). So if you're thinking about a non-clinical career, would you jump into the CME industry and join a MECC?

The World of Medical Education

The world of medical education can be broken down in so many different ways.

First: professional vs. consumer health education

If professional, then: promotional vs. certified continuing education (or certified CME/CE)

Let's talk a bit more about professional health education since we all know about WebMD and Revolution Health.

The world of promotional education is governed by strict FDA guidelines. Plus, don't forget the PhRMA code. There is no off-label discussion within a promotional activity. Also, speakers are recruited directly by the pharma/biotech/device company. The content does not need to be fair-balanced and there is no governing body that certifies those activities for any type of continuing education credit.

In the world of certified CME/CE, the rules are completely different. Here, you can discuss off-label use of medications. As a faculty speaker, you are to have no communications with the pharma/biotech/device company. Also, you don't get paid directly from a drug company. The educational content must be fair-balanced and the ACCME acts as a governing body to provide rules and regulations regarding certified CME (the CE for nurses and pharmacists are governed by other bodies). The PhRMA code has rules regarding CME.

Surprisingly, many healthcare professional are not aware of the distinction between non-certified medical education and certified medical education. Since the rules are constantly changing, it's important to stay updated on the latest guidelines and codes. The PhRMA code just got revised and the ACCME guidelines are constantly in flux.