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Continuing Medical Education
CME guidelines of the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) Continuing Medical Education Committee
Introduction
- Continuing medical education (CME) is a necessity and an ethical and moral obligation and right throughout the specialistÆs entire career.
- Participation in CME-EBO is expected if the practitioner is to demonstrate continuing fitness to practice. A specialist who does not participate in any form of CME can not lose his/her status as a specialist, but must understand that he/she may be personally disadvantaged in other ways.
- The content of CME for the specialist has multiple aspects: the accumulation of scientific knowledge by:
- Reading the literature and audio-visual media.
- Attendance at courses and seminars.
- Attendance at national and international meetings.
- Publication of scientific papers.
- Organisation of meetings, congresses, workshops etc.
- The quality of CME contents must be controlled by the profession, by means of committees, scientific societies and universities or equivalent centers of each country.
- A system of assessment by awarding credit points should be established in each country.
- The EBO requires 250 credits for a 5 year-period.
Structure of CME
It is necessary that each member state should have a committee of CME which duty would be:
- To create guidelines for CME in the own country.
- To award each CME activity with credit points.
- Supervision of CME.
- Relations with the European bodies for CME.
- Counselling of ophthalmologists in CME matters
CME Credit system
Principle 1 hour = 1 credit point
- Reading credits: 5 points max. per year
Medical and scientific literature. It is recommended to read authorised medical literature at least 2 hours a week.
- External credits:
Formally planned interactive CME
- Planned structured CME activities offered by approved CME providers (e.g. ProVision) 1 point/hour.
- Teleconferences 1 point/hour
- Congresses and courses, workshops, wetlabs etc. 1 point/hour, max. 5 points/day
- Publication of a paper in a peer-reviewed journal 5 points, max. 5 points/year
- Presentation of a paper at a recognised CME activity 5 points, max. 10 points/year
- Presentation of a poster 5 points, max. 10 points/year
- Organisation of congresses, meetings, workshops etc. 5 points/day, max. 10 points/year
- Internal credits:
Personal learning activities
- Consultation with peers and medical experts
- Small group discussions
- Journal club activities
- Teaching healthcare professionals other than doctors
- Individual studies in an approved institution for a supplementary competence 1 point/hour, max. 5 points/day
- Local hospital educational activity 2 points/hour, max. 10 points/year
- Participation in congresses, sessions and courses in another medical speciality than ophthalmology can be recognised up to 20% of the total amount.
- Commercial supported activity is only recognised if the program is under the responsibility of the CME committee of the country.
Evaluation and quality control of CME
- The supervision of CME is a national duty.
- The supervision of the quality of the CME providers is a national duty.
Final conclusions
- Credits in excess of the required 250 points are indicative of laudatory CME activities. However they will not be carried forward in the following 5-year period.
- Ophthalmologists who fail to achieve 250 credits in 5 years should receive counseling from their local CME committee.
Dr. E. Cabernard
Chairman EBO CME committee
January 2001
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