Submit a CME Proposal

Proposal resources

Education gap(s)

A gap is the difference between a current level of knowledge, competency, performance or patient outcome and the ideal or desired level. The difference between actual (what is happening) and ideal (what should be happening).

Gaps are the description of a problem in practice – in research practice, clinical practice, educational practice, administrative practice.

Gaps can be at the individual level, the group level, the community of provider’s level, etc.

Gaps can be in*:

• knowledge (providers don’t know something)
• competence (providers don’t know how to do something, don’t have methods or strategies)
• performance (providers not doing something in their practice)
• patient outcomes (the consequences of performance)

Examples

1. Misdiagnosis because of lack of knowledge or understanding. (knowledge gap)
2. Suboptimal patient care because of lack of strategies or methods to intervene under certain clinical conditions. (competence gap)
3. Suboptimal patient outcomes because of lack of action, intervention, barriers, etc. (performance gap)

Specific Examples

1. Inappropriate technique and use of ultrasound is leading to complications and medical errors.
2. Not successfully implementing goal directed therapy and target therapy is leading to worse outcomes.
3. Chronic constipation is often overlooked, yet a debilitating cause of abdominal pain.
4. IBS continues to be a common condition encountered by health care professionals but is often not recognized.

* A knowledge gap alone does not meet criteria. Please combine knowledge gap with either a competence or performance gap. Example – More than 3 million Americans have glaucoma. There is a lack of clarity amongst area ophthalmologists as to which if any patients would benefit from using XXX a new glaucoma treatment. (knowledge gap)  Without strategies in place as to how and when they should screen specific patients, who might benefit from the new treatment, a subset of patients is negatively impacted. (competence gap)

Educational needs

An educational need can be defined as the cause or reason for the gap. Why does this problem exist? Is there a lack of knowledge, competence and/or performance that caused the problem?

Reasons for the gap or problem could be:

• Lack of prompt or early recognition of …..
• Inappropriate management of ……
• Application of wrong or incorrect techniques
• Not applying current clinical algorithms
• Challenging to stay current with rapid advances in the field, new drugs, etc.
• Treatment not happening in a timely manner
• Lack of experience in managing or treating….
• Training is inadequate, inefficient, out of date
• Condition is difficult or challenging to diagnosis or treat
• Providers don’t know when to refer patient to specialist
• Providers lack the time to properly diagnose and/or treat condition

Learner objectives

Objectives show what measurable changes are anticipated (in competence, performance and/or patient outcomes) as a result of the CME activity.

Questions to ask before writing objectives.

• What do you want learners to be able to know and do at the end of the activity?
• What do learners need to know and be able to do to bridge the gap between where they are today and where you want them to be afterward?
• If participants could learn only three things in this activity, what would those three things be?

Please review Bloom’s Taxonomy Verb Chart for a list of measurable action verbs to consider using when developing learner objectives.

Examples of learner objectives:

• Review current recommended best practices and develop strategies for updating current clinical practice.
• Incorporate current YXX guidelines into clinical practice and use when evaluating and managing patients with YYYX.
• Identify red flags when evaluating a patient for XXYY and determine how and when to refer to specialist.

Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education

MHS CME is committed to adhering to the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.

Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) acts as the steward of the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, which have been drafted to be applicable to accredited continuing education across the health professions. The Standards are designed to:

• Ensure that accredited continuing education serves the needs of patients and the public.
• Present learners with only accurate, balanced, scientifically justified recommendations.
• Assure healthcare professionals and teams that they can trust accredited continuing education to help them deliver safe, effective, cost-effective, compassionate care that is based on best practice and evidence.
• Create a clear, unbridgeable separation between accredited continuing education and marketing and sales.

Disclosure

Anyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity is required to complete an MHS CME Disclosure Form well in advance of the proposed education start date.  Educational activites will not be accredited for CME until all required disclosure forms are submitted, reviewed and if needed mitigated.

Anyone in a position to control the content must disclose the presence or absence of financial relationships with ACCME defined ineligible companies, whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Requests to complete MHS CME Disclosure form will be sent by MHS CME staff via eeds.