Continuing Medical Education
Definition of Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Continuing medical education (CME) consists of educational activities which serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. The content of CME is that body of knowledge and skills generally recognized and accepted by the profession as within the basic medical sciences, the discipline of clinical medicine, and the provision of health care to the public. CME if often required for maintaining medical licensure, board certification, hospital privileges and professional development. CME can take various forms, such as live conferences, online courses, journal articles, workshops, or webinars. Continuing Medical Education (CME) refers to educational activities that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance of healthcare providers. These activities help clinicians stay current with advances in medical knowledge, treatment practices, and healthcare delivery, ensuring high-quality patient care, by addressing identified knowledge gaps.
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) definition of CME is broad, to encompass continuing educational activities that assist physicians in carrying out their professional responsibilities more effectively and efficiently.
Examples of topics that are included in the ACCME definition of CME content include:
- Management, for physicians responsible for managing a health care facility
- Educational methodology, for physicians teaching in a medical school
- Practice management, for physicians interested in providing better service to patients
- Coding and reimbursement in medical practice
When physicians participate in continuing education activities that are not directly related to their professional work, these do not fall within the ACCME definition of CME content. Although they may be worthwhile for physicians, continuing education activities related to a physician’s nonprofessional educational needs or interests, such as personal financial planning or appreciation of literature or music, are not considered CME content by the ACCME.
LCH CME Mission
The mission of the LCH CME program is to advance knowledge, competence, and performance in practice of physicians with the goal of improving patient outcomes through the design and delivery of high quality, evidence-based continuing medical education programs.
The expected results of Larkin Community Hospital CME are to:
- Improve physician competence measured by outcome assessment which includes knowledge, skills and attitudes. Activities are designed to enhance learners’ clinical competence by providing them with updated, evidence-based knowledge and practical skills necessary to address contemporary healthcare challenges. This includes educating learners on the latest diagnostic protocols, treatment guidelines, and best practices in areas such as chronic disease management. The goal is to equip participants with the expertise needed to make informed clinical decisions and apply these in real-world situations.
- Improvement in performance-in-practice through assessment of the intent to change behavior and implement changes in practice. CME activities will provide opportunities for healthcare providers to discuss and apply new knowledge in a safe, controlled environment. These activities will aim to increase the consistency and quality of care delivered by healthcare professionals.
- Improved patient outcomes through self-reported improvement or quality improvement data or EMR data when feasible. By addressing gaps in knowledge and performance, the activities will aim to ensure better clinical decision-making, more accurate diagnoses, and timely, appropriate treatments. Hopefully, this will lead to improvements in healthcare providers’ competence and performance, which, in turn, would contribute to better patient outcomes and higher quality care in our community.
In summation, the mission of the LCH CME is articulated above and includes expected results in the areas of competence, performance and patient outcomes.
What You Need to Get Started with CME
- Submit an application. You may submit your preliminary idea using the CME initial one page form from the website or by contracting the CME office directly cme@larkinhospital.com.
- Applications are accepted for new CME activities throughout the year. An online CME application form must be completed before your activity can be considered for CME credit. In addition to the completed online application, the following materials must be completed and/or submitted to the CME department:
- Submit your application at least eight (8) weeks prior to the first date of your meeting.
- A completed Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure form for each course director and planner identified on the application. The disclosure form is available on the Research website under the Continuing Medical Education menu.
- Preliminary schedule or list of topics if a set schedule was not indicated on the application (i.e. weekly every Thursday, monthly every 1st Monday, etc.).
- Send to the Dept. of Research & Academic Affairs office at cme@larkinhospital.com to be reviewed by the Larkin CME committee according to Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) guidelines.
Larkin CME Application
Larkin CME Manual
CME Manual of Process and Policies
Larkin CME Forms
Forms
- CME One-Page Application Form to Begin CME Process
- Form for Clinical Content for Education
- Financial/Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form
- Financial Mitigation Form
- Individual Program Review Analysis Form
- CME Annual Program Review Analysis Form
Disclosure Slides for Use in power point presentations
CME Announcements
Larkin Community Hospital is excited to announce that we have applied to Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to offer credit for our CME programs. Our application has been accepted and the ACCME site visit has been scheduled for November 12, 2025.
