Regulators Collaborate to Digitize CME for America’s Doctors

Abstract

Since 2010, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME®) has maintained a database, the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS), as a central repository for information about accredited education providers and their activities. The database has been expanded with the goal of creating an integrated, centralized data system. The ACCME collaboration since 2015 with specialty certifying boards served as a proof of concept that creating a centralized system that facilitates the free flow of data can provide value to physicians and medical regulatory boards. In 2018, ACCME undertook a pilot project that expanded reporting of credit for certifying boards to also include reporting of continuing medical education (CME) credit for 3 state medical licensing boards. Based on the success and lessons learned from the pilot, the ACCME decided to invest in building a new version of PARS to include any state medical licensing boards that chose to use the data. Launched in November 2021, the new PARS enables accredited organizations to enter CME credit data for all US physicians. Physicians may access their data via CMEPassport.org. By leveraging the power of a common database, regulatory bodies can demonstrate accountability, integrity, and transparency; reduce burdens on physicians; facilitate physicians’ commitment to lifelong learning; transform the perception of CME from a checkbox exercise to a currency for change; and contribute to advancing clinician practice and healthcare improvement for patients and communities throughout the country.