CME joint providership is a type of continuing medical education that is jointly provided by two or more organizations:
- An accredited provider
- A non-accredited organization / “joint provider”
The purpose of joint providership is to expand educational opportunities by sharing resources, expertise, and/or financial risk.
What is a joint provider?
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) defines a joint provider as “an organization that has accepted joint responsibility with the accredited provider for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an educational activity”.
The accredited and joint providers are responsible for ensuring that the educational activity meets the ACCME Essentials and Standards for Commercial Support.
What are the benefits of joint providership for a non-accredited organization?
CME joint providership is a way for non-accredited organizations to team up and offer continuing medical education (CME) credits to physicians and other healthcare providers. The benefits of such an arrangement include pooling resources, reaching larger audiences, and being able to offer more comprehensive CME programs.
When done well, joint providership can:
- Expand the educational offerings of the non-accredited provider.
- Increase the number of learners who can benefit from the non-accredited provider’s educational activities.
- Enhance the quality of the non-accredited provider’s educational activities.
How is this achieved? By leaving the CME administrative burden to the accredited provider, non-accredited organizations can focus on developing more and better activities.
What should non-accredited organizations consider before seeking CME joint providership?
It is not uncommon for non-accredited organizations to seek out collaborations with accredited organizations in order to offer CME for physicians and their healthcare teams. There are a few things they should be aware of before embarking on joint providership.
- Non-accredited organizations should be aware that the accredited organization will be held to the highest standards when it comes to CME content.
- The content must be evidence-based and objective, delivered by qualified faculty members, and meet all other required standards.
- Like any partnership, joint providership requires effective communication and collaboration among the organizations involved.
What are the responsibilities of the accredited provider?
The accredited provider is responsible for submitting the application for joint providership to the ACCME on behalf of the joint providers. It should also ensure that all CME activities are reported accurately and in a timely manner.