IMPROVING THE CME-CPD ACCREDITATION SYSTEM IN GREECE The CME-CPD office of the Panhellenic Medical Association (PHMA) is staffed with 2 Doctors, 2 Administrative Assistants and 1 Secretary Application System: Most applications are received by . Providers of CME-CPD must comply in writing with D9908 of EACCME – UEMS. Applications must be received by the CME-CPD office at least 6 weeks prior to the event. The use of the website has facilitated significantly the process of applications for credits.

Criteria for decision making: When the applications for CME-CPD are in accordance with D9908 of EACCME – UEMS the credits are awarded on a 1,3,6 credit per day system (1hr = 1 credit, Half Day = 3 credits, Full Day = 6 credits). Examining the content, quality and impact of a given event is a sensitive issue requiring long discussions!!! The CME-CPD credits are timely awarded and the organizers are asked to return post-event feedback evaluation forms of the event and the speakers – trainers from the participants through answering a written questionnaire. The event must be endorsed either from the scientific committee of a medical school or a s.c. of NHS system or a scientific society.

The organizing committee of a given event is asked to hand the certificates of credits to the participants only by receiving the evaluation reports of the scientific events through a given questionnaire. Recently organizers are controlling the attendance of the sessions electronically through punch cards and then award the certificates of credits according to the amount of the meeting attended by the participants. Satellite Symposia (organized by pharmaceutical industry) during a meeting are not receiving credits additional to the already awarded for the scientific event.

Problem: Some applicants are complaining that the credits awarded from the CME-CPD office of PHMA are lower than the ones they would receive from their Specialty Boards of UEMS. We cannot explain this discrepancy and we advise them to apply to their SB for accreditation. In most of the events, that credits are awarded from PHMA – CME – CPD office, a side visit is performed by one of the doctors of the CME-CPD office. The organizers are welcoming the visits and, so far, our impressions are positive. The number of the events accredited for the Years 2004 – 2007 (Oct 30 th ) are as follows:

Scientific Medical Events in Greece Years YEARNATIONALINTERNATIONAL (till Oct 30) 36924

PROVIDERS OF CME-CPD EVENTS YEARS 2004 – 2007 YEAR Scientific Societies University Depts N.H.S. Depts Private Institutions

TRUNK SPECIALTIES PROVIDING CME-CPD YEAR Int. Med Surg. Spec. Laboratory