CME Activity Planning Roles & Responsibilities

Continuing Medical Education (CME) Planning Roles and Responsibilities

Introduction

This guide assists those involved in planning and delivering Continuing Medical Education (CME) activities by outlining the roles and responsibilities of each member of an activity planning committee to ensure compliance with the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) standards. Understanding these roles helps committee members effectively contribute to the success of CME activities.

Please Note: If you are new to CME activities or from outside the Prisma Health system, do not hesitate to reach out to the CME office for assistance at cme@prismahealth.org. We are here to help you through every step of the process.

Overview of Roles

Activity Chair(s): Lead the planning committee, secure qualified faculty and planning committee members, ensure compliance, manage commercial support in collaboration with the CME office, and support the mitigation of identified Conflicts of Interest (COI) as identified by the CME office.
Planning Committee Members: Support the Activity Chair, engage in COI mitigation as requested by the Activity Chair or the CME Office, refine activity forms, and assist in managing commercial support.
Activity Coordinator: Manage logistics, facilitate COI processes through collaboration with the CME Office, coordinate with speakers, and if applicable, ensure the distinction between accredited education and other activities.
CME Team/Coordinator: Oversee course development, ensure compliance, manage commercial support, and maintain records.

Role Requirements

You may list in the Activity Request Form up to two (2) Activity Chairs, two (2) Activity Coordinators, and seven (7) additional Planning Committee Members.
- An individual can serve as both an Activity Chair/Coordinator, but you do not need to repeat those names if they are also serving as a Planning Committee Member.
The Activity Coordinator(s) typically serve as the primary contact for the activity with the CME Office.
Typically, an Activity Chair is a licensed physician or doctorally prepared. There should be at least one M.D. serving on every clinical activity as our current accreditation provides AMA PRA Category 1 credit.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Key roles include the Activity Chair(s), Planning Committee Members, Activity Coordinator, and CME Team/Coordinator. Each role has specific responsibilities categorized under Compliance, Planning and Coordination, Conflict of Interest (COI) Mitigation, Faculty and Content Management, Commercial Support Management, Disclosure to Learners, Distinguishing Accredited Education, Administrative and Logistical Support, and Evaluation and Review. This structured approach covers all aspects of CME activity planning and delivery, promoting effective and compliant educational experiences. Depending on the activity type and financial structure, some responsibilities may not apply or may be delegated to another member.

Common Responsibilities Across All Roles

Category	Responsibilities
Compliance	Review and comply with ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education Submit an annual CME disclosure form and update it via resubmission as financial relationships change
Evaluation and Review	Participate in the Annual Activity Review process

ACTIVITY CHAIR(S)

Summary: The Activity Chair(s) assemble and lead the planning committee, ensure compliance with standards, manage commercial support, identify educational needs, secure qualified faculty, and support the mitigation of identified Conflicts of Interest (COI) as identified by the CME office.

Category	Responsibilities
Planning and Coordination	Assemble a Planning Committee reflective of the target audience of the educational activity (See Best Practices for Inclusive CME Activity Planning) Avoid inviting owners/employees whose primary business is producing, marketing, or selling healthcare products (see ACCME guidelines on eligible and ineligible companies). Identify professional practice gaps and educational needs of the healthcare team and obtain appropriate evidence to justify the need. Complete the CME Activity Form and update it annually, or as needed.
Conflict of Interest (COI) Mitigation	Support the mitigation of identified Conflicts of Interest (COI) as identified by the CME office. Ensure the protection of Protected Health Information (PHI)
Faculty and Content Management	Secure qualified faculty to deliver content addressing the learning objectives identified in the CME Activity Form with the Planning Committee's assistance Ensure adult learning principles that promote active learning are incorporated into the educational design Provide content that presents a fair and balanced view of diagnostic and therapeutic options Review learning content prior to the session to affirm alignment with ACCME Standards Affirm the addition of disclosure statement slides and presentation to learners prior to the session Ensure learning objectives are communicated and presented to learners Monitor educational content delivery to ensure compliance with accreditation policies and procedures and moderate activity sessions
Commercial Support Management	Make all decisions regarding the receipt and disbursement of commercial support Ensure ineligible companies do not pay directly for any expenses related to the education or learners Use commercial support to fund honoraria or travel expenses of planners, faculty, and others in control of content, but not for individual learners Use commercial support to defray or eliminate the cost of education for all learners Ensure marketing is not a condition for financial or in-kind support
Disclosure to Learners	Disclose the name(s) of the ineligible company(ies) that provided the commercial support and the nature of the support if in-kind, prior to learners engaging in the education Ensure disclosure does not include corporate or product logos, trade names, or product group messages
Evaluation and Review	Continue to collect evidence to measure effectiveness towards closing identified practice gaps

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Summary: Planning Committee Members support the Activity Chair, engage in COI mitigation as requested by the Activity Chair or the CME Office, refine activity forms, monitor instructional quality, and assist in managing commercial support.

Category	Responsibilities
Planning and Coordination	Complete assigned tasks as determined by the Activity Chair.
Conflict of Interest (COI) Mitigation	Engage in the COI mitigation process for activity speakers as requested by the Activity Chair or the CME Office.
Faculty and Content Management	Refine the CME Activity Form to ensure linkages between educational needs, format, and outcomes Confirm content meets criteria for balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and independence Ensure proper disclosure statements are made prior to the learning session Assist the Activity Chair in identifying qualified faculty to deliver content addressing learning objectives (See Best Practices for Inclusive CME Activity Planning) Assist the Activity Chair in identifying appropriate learning materials to extend learning beyond the activity Monitor instructional quality to ensure effective learning by, for, and with the healthcare team

ACTIVITY COORDINATOR

Summary: The Activity Coordinator acts as the point of contact, manages logistics, facilitates COI processes through collaboration with the CME office, coordinates with speakers, and, if applicable, ensures the distinction between accredited education and other activities.

Category	Responsibilities
Planning and Coordination	Serve as a member of the Planning Committee and act as the primary point of contact for the CME Team
Conflict of Interest (COI) Mitigation	Facilitate the COI process through collaborating with the CME office to obtain all necessary disclosures. Engage in the COI mitigation process for activity speakers and planners as requested by the Activity Chair or the CME Office.
Faculty and Content Management	Correspond with speakers and act as speaker liaison, ensuring all speakers submit their disclosures at least two weeks prior to the session date Use CME Office-provided PowerPoint templates to disclose to learners Assist in compiling appropriate learning materials for learners
Administrative and Logistical Support	Distribute credit claiming methods (e.g., text in code or evaluation) provided by the CME Team to learners Schedule rooms or send virtual calendar links to participants and the CME inbox Assist in choosing the venue and act as a venue coordinator for annual activities Communicate logistics to the assigned CME Coordinator Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS) Activities: Complete RSS training, maintain and update the Smartsheet Activity Schedule (SAS), ensure timely submission of financial disclosures, attach learning materials, post sessions, and communicate changes Annual Activities: Manage the registration process for annual activities
Distinguishing Accredited Education	For live activities, ensure marketing and nonaccredited education do not occur in the educational space within 30 minutes before or after accredited education Allow marketing in logistical information distributed about accredited education, but not in educational content Ensure ineligible companies do not provide access to or distribute accredited education to learners

CME OFFICE/COORDINATOR

Summary: The CME Office/Coordinator oversees course development, ensures compliance, manages commercial support and ancillary activities, provides feedback, and maintains records.

Category	Responsibilities
Compliance	Maintain documents supporting ACCME Accreditation Criteria compliance Ensure compliance with Standard 4: Manage Commercial Support Appropriately Oversee commercial support management, including agreements and documentation Ensure compliance with Standard 5: Manage Ancillary Activities Offered in Conjunction with Accredited Continuing Education Oversee ancillary activities management, including scheduling and documentation
Planning and Coordination	Oversee course development, implementation, evaluation, budget, and registration Review and provide feedback on the CME Activity Form Liaise between the Activity Planning Committee and the Continuing Medical Education Committee (CMEC) during approval Recommend educational formats for CME activities Designate appropriate credits Maintain activity needs within the Ethos Learning Portal
Conflict of Interest (COI) Mitigation	Oversee mitigation steps for speakers with identified COI
Faculty and Content Management	Communicate helpful documents to Activity Coordinators for learner participants Respond to inquiries from Activity Coordinators and learners
Commercial Support Management	Document terms, conditions, and purposes of commercial support agreements Ensure agreements are executed before the start of accredited education Keep records of commercial support and its usage Produce accounting upon request by the accrediting body or ineligible company
Separation from Marketing	Ensure marketing or exhibiting arrangements with ineligible companies do not influence education planning, delivery, or evaluation Ensure marketing is not a condition for financial or in-kind support
Evaluation and Review	Facilitate Annual Activity ReviewRetain participation records for six years Address participants’ perceptions of professional effectiveness and concerns about commercial bias Maintain RSS Training tab with helpful links Review and maintain financial records and evaluation summaries for annual activities

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