Newly evolved standards serve the needs of healthcare professionals, patients, and the public in changing healthcare environment

December 10, 2020

Media Inquiries
Tamar Hosansky
312-245-4066
thosansky@accme.org

Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™ is pleased to announce it has adopted the new Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. The Standards are designed to ensure that accredited continuing education provides healthcare professionals with accurate, balanced, evidence-based information that supports safe and effective patient care.

The new Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education evolved from the Standards for Commercial Support: Standards to Ensure Independence in CME Activities℠, which were first adopted in 1992 and updated in 2004. The new Standards were developed through a two-year, inclusive process of dialogue and consensus-building with stakeholders. The goal was to streamline, clarify, and modernize the Standards, and ensure their continued relevance and effectiveness in the changing healthcare environment.

The newly evolved Standards reflect the values of the continuing education community and have been adopted by accrediting bodies representing multiple health professions. Independence from industry is the cornerstone of accredited continuing education. By achieving consensus on the Standards, these accrediting bodies in the health professions stand together, not only to continue to assure the delivery of high-quality learning experiences, but also to sustain the protection from industry bias and marketing that accreditation rules deliver:

  • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)
  • Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
  • American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
  • American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
  • Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry’s Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (ARBO/COPE)
  • Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™

“Patients and families have the right to expect that their healthcare teams will make care recommendations that are based on science, not marketing. Joint Accreditation includes accreditors from 10 health professions, and we are proud to adopt the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Although each health profession represents different perspectives and experiences, we are united in our commitment to ensuring that healthcare education by the team, for the team serves the public trust.” —Kathy Chappell, PhD, RN, FNAP, FAAN; Kate Regnier, MA, MBA; Dimitra Travlos, PharmD, Cofounders, Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education

New Standards Webinar and Resources

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®), a cofounder of Joint Accreditation, has produced resources to support the continuing education community’s successful transition to the new Standards. Jointly accredited providers will be expected to implement the new Standards by January 1, 2022.

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Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education™

Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education offers organizations the opportunity to be simultaneously accredited to provide continuing education for dentists, dietitians, nurses, optometrists, PAs (physician assistants), pharmacists, physicians, psychologists, and social workers through a single, unified application process, fee structure, and set of accreditation standards. Jointly accredited providers may award single profession or interprofessional continuing education credit (IPCE) to participating professions without needing to obtain separate accreditations. Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education is the first and only process in the world offering this benefit. For more information, visit www.jointaccreditation.org.