AbstractTwenty-two state medical licensing boards that require continuing medical education (CME) for medical license renewal and have completed at least one cycle were surveyed to assess the process of credit verification. Fourteen states (63.6%) accept attestations on the renewal application; three states (13.6%) require lists of CME activities along with the attestation and application; four states (18.2%) require a list of CME activities and no attestation; and one state (4.6%) relies on the audit process alone for verification.Seventeen states (77.3%) employ an audit to verify compliance with CME requirements. Depending on the state, audits are performed annually, biennially, triennially, or on an on-going basis. Most states (76.5%) audit 10 percent or fewer physicians and report a compliance rate of 75–100 percent. The most common problems reported relate to poor recordkeeping and documentation and lack of time and personnel to perform meaningful audits. If state medical licensing boards promulgate rules and regulations dictating verification of CME credits, improvements in the process will be needed.
Twenty-two state medical licensing boards that require continuing medical education (CME) for medical license renewal and have completed at least one cycle were surveyed to assess the process of credit verification. Fourteen states (63.6%) accept attestations on the renewal application; three states (13.6%) require lists of CME activities along with the attestation and application; four states (18.2%) require a list of CME activities and no attestation; and one state (4.6%) relies on the audit process alone for verification.
Seventeen states (77.3%) employ an audit to verify compliance with CME requirements. Depending on the state, audits are performed annually, biennially, triennially, or on an on-going basis. Most states (76.5%) audit 10 percent or fewer physicians and report a compliance rate of 75–100 percent. The most common problems reported relate to poor recordkeeping and documentation and lack of time and personnel to perform meaningful audits. If state medical licensing boards promulgate rules and regulations dictating verification of CME credits, improvements in the process will be needed.
© 1992 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
