AAFP:
American Academy of Family Physicians Accreditation
For AAFP Approval of CME Courses and Programs

The American Academy of Family Physicians is the accrediting body for family physicians. The AAFP accreditation differs from ACCME accreditation in that each individual CME activity must be applied for separately rather than the AAFP accrediting the institution. AAFP accreditation is applied for approximately 4-6 months ahead of any activity deemed eligible by the division's director.

Requirements for Eligibility

• Only continuing medical education programs which are intended primarily for physicians will be eligible for AAFP Prescribed credit.

• To be eligible for AAFP Prescribed credit, all courses and programs must have family practice input by an appropriate AAFP member in the planning and development.

• To be eligible for AAFP Prescribed credit, all applications must include a clear description of:
  (a) program content,
  (b) principal audience and program objectives,
  (c) teaching methods to be utilized (when more than one medium is used, each should be an integral part of the program),
  (d) method of program evaluation.

• All courses and programs must demonstrate high educational, ethical, and medical standards providing CME on proven theory and techniques generally accepted by the medical community.

• The AAFP requires that programs are in compliance with the ACCME "Standards for Commercial Support of Continuing Medical Education." The program director must sign and initial as indicated on the application form attesting to compliance. The AAFP reserves the right to withhold or withdraw accreditation from such programs that in its opinion do not satisfy AAFP regulations governing CME. The AAFP will conduct a random audit of programs it approves to ensure compliance. Non compliance may result in the sponsoring organization being placed on probationary status for future accreditation by the AAFP.

• CME content for Prescribed credit must satisfy one or more of the following:

  a. Have scientific/clinical content with a direct bearing on patient care, e.g., organic, behavioral.

  b. Relate to teaching/ethical/social responsibility of family physician including, but not limited to, medicolegal, ethical, faculty development, professional/academic leadership.

  c. Have a direct bearing on family physicians' ability to deliver patient care including, but not limited to, laboratory regulations, managed care/practice management, utilization review/quality assurance, coding.

• Programs that do not meet the Prescribed credit requirements may be reviewed for AAFP Elective credit.

• All courses and programs must be a minimum of a quarter-hour duration. Maximum hours of scientific or socioeconomic program content; total hours may be rounded to the nearest fifteen minutes, e.g., 1 hour 50 minutes = 1 3/4 hour; 1 hour 55 minutes = 2 hours. No credit is allowed for viewing technical or scientific exhibits or attendance at poster sessions.

• Sponsors may apply for split credit hours when certain portions of the program do not qualify for Prescribed credit, e.g., 10 Prescribed, 2 Elective, 2 No Credit. No AAFP CME credit will be awarded unless 50 percent of the program content is eligible to receive AAFP credit hours.

• Authority of approval of all continuing medical education hours rests with the AAFP Commission on Continuing Medical Education. Should a program producer/sponsor appeal an action, the appeal process is outlined in the CME manual.

Promotional materials may not make reference to the AAFP or its accreditation system prior to the actual notification that credit has been awarded. Do NOT state "AAFP credit applied for," or similar wording since this is contrary to AAFP policy.

Certificate of Attendance

A Certificate of Attendance should be made available to every participant at a CME activity approved for AAFP credit hours. The official AAFP statement of accreditation should be printed as follows indicating the total number of credit hours approved for the activity.

This statement may not be printed unless confirmation of program approval has been received.

This program has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to ___ (Prescribed or Elective) credit hours by the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Space must be provided on the certificate for participants to indicate the actual amount of time they attended a course or spent completing a home study program, etc.

Records of Attendance and Retention Period

Program sponsors must have a mechanism to record physician participation in CME activities. When authorized by the physician, records can be used to verify physician participation. Records should be retained for at least six years.

Reporting CME Hours for AAFP Members

Family Physicians who are members of the AAFP must report CME hours to the AAFP to fulfill their membership requirements. This is not a requirement for program approval, but strictly voluntary. An announcement should be made informing AAFP members attending your course that by stopping by at the registration desk as they leave the meeting, they can indicate on the participants' list the number of hours attended and initial the notation. When this list is submitted to the AAFP CME Records Department, the member's hours will be entered to their individual CME record. Using the typed participants list rather than a hand-written sheet will provide verification of the physician's name for accurate recording of CME hours.

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For more information about the American Academy of Family Physicians
you may access that Web site at: http://www.aafp.org/