Planning Non-Recurring Activities
Non-recurring CME activities include conferences, workshops, seminars, panel discussions, simulations, and more. This planning process covers these one-time events, as well as enduring materials and performance improvement activities.
If you’re looking to plan a series for CME credit, please refer to our guidelines for Planning Regularly Scheduled Series.
AnMed is dedicated to providing CME that is scientifically valid and free from commercial, personal, professional, and organizational bias. To ensure the quality of our programs, please follow the steps outlined below:
Step 1: Contact the CME Office to Begin the Application Process – 6 Months in Advance
We accept applications for new CME activities year-round. To begin the planning and application process, contact the CME Office at least six months before your activity date at cme@anmed.org.
CME applications must be submitted to the AnMed CME Coordinator no later than 12 weeks before the activity date.
The following documents must be submitted with your CME Activity Planning Application:
- Agenda
- COI (Conflict of Interest) Form, completed by the physician activity director and all educational planning committee members
- Planner Declaration Form, completed by the physician activity director and all educational planning committee members
- Draft Budget, including anticipated income, expenses, commercial support, honoraria, and reimbursements. Requests for commercial support, advertising, and educational grants must be reviewed and approved by the AnMed CME Coordinator before distribution.
- ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence for accredited education review and attestation
If the activity director has financial relationships with ineligible companies, the departmental CME committee—comprising at least one member without financial relationships—must take responsibility for needs assessment, objectives, content development, and speaker selection.
Step 2: Early Planning and Verification – Disclosures Due 4 Weeks Before the Activity
The conference planning committee/departmental CME committee must work with the AnMed CME Coordinator to:
- Review the speakers’ relationships with ineligible companies, as detailed on their Speaker/Planner Declaration and Conflict of Interest Forms
- Determine whether these relationships may affect content, and if so, decide how to mitigate potential bias
- Complete the “Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships” form for each planner, presenter, and all others in control of accredited educational content who has relationships with ineligible companies.
- For enduring materials only: review scripts and interview content for scientific validity and potential bias
IMPORTANT: Please note that owners and employees of ineligible companies are considered to have unresolvable financial relationships and must be excluded from participating as planners or faculty, except in the limited circumstances outlined in Standard 3: Identify, Mitigate, and Disclose Relevant Financial Relations, ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence.
If there is a potential for bias in any speaker’s presentation, the Office of CME will need to address it.
Step 3: Create Announcements
The CME Office will create all announcements for the CME activities.
Step 4: Disclosure Forms – Due to the CME Office 4 Weeks Before the Activity
Submit the following forms to the CME Office at least four weeks before the activity date for all presenters, authors, and those controlling educational content:
- Speaker/Planner Declaration Form
- Conflict of Interest Form
- Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships Form (if applicable)
Credit will be withdrawn if these forms are not submitted at least four weeks before the program. This allows sufficient time to notify participants that CME credit is unavailable due to incomplete requirements.
Step 5: Commercial Support Contracts – Due 4 Weeks Before the Activity
Submit fully executed Letters of Agreement for Commercial Support at least four weeks before the program. These agreements must specify the terms and conditions of support from external sources (companies, foundations, etc.). The letters must be signed by the following parties:
- The company providing support
- The education provider (e.g., your department)
- The accredited provider (AnMed CME Office)
Commercial supporters cannot pay expenses directly. Grants from commercial supporters must be sent directly to the education provider (e.g., your department) or accredited provider (AnMed CME office).
Step 6: Before the Educational Activity Begins (For Enduring Materials Only)
Enduring materials have specific communication requirements before the activity starts.
Step 7: At the Event (For Conferences Only)
At the event, provide each registrant with the following items:
- AnMed CME Disclosure Summary (provided by the AnMed CME Coordinator)
- Credit Claim Instructions
- Post-Activity Evaluation Survey link (provided by the CME Office)
Also, collect attendance using sign-in sheets provided by the CME Office, and encourage participants to evaluate the program.
Commercial exhibits (if any) must be located outside the conference room.
Step 8: After the Activity (Within 30 Days)
For conferences:
- Submit final presentations and handouts
- Provide a participant attendance report
- Submit the final budget
For performance improvement activities:
- Submit a copy of the final program and announcement
- Provide handouts
- Submit credit claim forms from participants
- Submit an evaluation summary report
- Provide fully executed letters of agreement
- Submit a final budget report
For enduring materials, send the following information to the CME Office at least quarterly:
- Names and demographics of all participants
- Evaluation results from participants
- Post-test results (if applicable)
Once enduring materials are approved, they retain accreditation for three years. After this period, content must be reviewed, updated, and reapproved for continued accreditation.