Maharastra Medical Council CME Guidelines

Medical Science is dynamic and there is no end of learning for a doctor. This is in essence the concept of continuing medical education (CME). Tremendous advances are taking place in the field of medical sciences, which are continuously changing the concept, approach to management and the outcome of several diseases. The rapid pace of these advances makes it mandatory for doctors to keep themselves updated so that they may apply this information to their patient’s well being and improve the quality of care rendered to them. A doctor must never be satisfied with his/her current level of proficiency and must always strive to enhance his/her competence and knowledge by keeping abreast with the latest developments in the field.

The Central Government of India has notified the new Ethics regulations in the Gazette of India on April 16, 2002, provides that “ A Physician should participate in professional meetings as part of Continuing Medical Education Programmes, for at least 30 hours every five years, organized by reputed professional academic bodies or any other authorized organisations. Since the above provisions have become mandatory, it has become necessary for the Maharashtra Medical Council to consider the whole matter and issue necessary guidelines in regard to its implementation. It has become necessary to accredit identified organisations so that the certificates of attendance at CME issued by them can be taken as valid. Various organisations which are already undertaking CME programmes through workshops, seminars or short term CME courses etc. have not been accredited by the Maharashtra Medical Council. Maharashtra Medical Council offers to accredite these institutes.

ORGANISATIONS/ ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES TO BE ACCREDITED
FOR C.M.E. CREDITATION
The Maharashtra Medical Councils shall consider the applications for accreditation of following organisation for holding CME programmes and convey their approval if the organisation fulfils all requirements.
1. All recognized Medical Colleges
2. Indian Medical Association or the State Chapters of the Indian Medical Association.
3. National Academy of Medical Sciences.
4. Specialists Associations (only National level Associations or their State Chapters).
5. All recognized Postgraduate Medical Institutions.
6. Central Govt. and State Govts. Hospitals (including Districts Hospitals) and training centres in health field including Ministry of Health and FW, Defence, Railways.
7. International conference of professional bodies.
8. National conference of professional bodies.
9. State Level Conference of National Organizations.
10. Professional bodies of repute functional at District, City, State Level eg. Physician Forum/Surgeons Forum/ Doctors Forum etc. in their areas/ specialties and super specialties.

GUIDELINES FOR C.M.E. ACCREDITATION
1. Accreditation/ Credit hours to be awarded will be the sole discretion of the Maharashtra Medical Council depending upon the subject matter, Status of the speaker, Quality of the papers to be presented in the C.M.E. / Conference.
2. Any professional organization or body or institution making to hold CME.’s should apply for accreditation to the Maharashtra Medical Council. The council on verifying the credentials of the organization will give certificate of accreditations to those bodies to hold CME’s.
3. The officer bearers of the Association/ Organization will apply to the Maharashtra Medical Council on a designed application form. The application should be accompanied by the Complete programme of the C.M.E. / Conference including the names and designation Country of the speakers and the subject of speech.
4. Accredited bodies like IMA/ professional bodies which hold regular CME’s will have to inform the Maharashtra Medical Council, the date of the CME, at least 15 days in advance, so that the Maharashtra Medical Council can send observer to the CME meeting.
5. In the application sent to the Maharashtra Medical Council, the minimum duration given to each speaker should also be mentioned along with the topic of the lecturer while applying for the credit hours.
6. Credit hours will be based on the composition of the faculty participation, quality of the contents of the subject matter and feed back from the delegates (On specified performa).
7. Associations/ Organizations should strictly issue the certificate to the delegate who has attended the C.M.E. no certificates should be distributed on the first day at the time of Registration for the C.M.E. / Conference. This practice should be taken care of. The certificates be distributed/ awarded only on the last day.
8. Associations/ Organizations will be duty bound to send the feedback of the delegates and the list of the delegates who have attended the C.M.E./Conference. A separate list for the delegates belonging to State of Maharashtra and delegates of the other states be submitted to the Maharashtra Medical Council.
9. In case it is found that the certificate is false one than the issuing Association / Organization will be debarred for future accreditation.

Credit hours to the CME / State / National / International Conference / Workshop organized
will be credited on the basis of the quality of subject matter and the status of the speakers
delivering the lecturer during the C.M.E.
1. Each CME / State / National / International Conference / Workshop of two days (5-6 hours daily) shall be eligible for a maximum of four credit hours. If it is only one day CME programme of 5-6 hours, the credit hours shall be two hours.
2. The doctors may attend the International C.M.E.’s/ Conferences held overseas as delegates. On the production of the certificates of attendance. CME credit hours will be given.
3. Any paper published in indexed National/ International Medical journal will entitle the author/ co‐author for credit hours.
4. Doctors doing Post Graduate courses e.g. Diploma, M.D., M.S., D.N.B., M.Ch., D.M., Fellowships, Memberships etc. from recognised/ reputed institutions in India or abroad will get 4 credit hour per year for the duration of the courses. e.g. One year 4 credit hour. Two Year 4 credit hour, Three year 4 credit hour as so on.
5. Any chapter published in a text book or update book published by professional bodies will entitle the author/ co‐authors for credit hours.
6. Speakers at any conference/ CME/ Workshop/ training programme will be given one credit hour per talk in addition to the credit hours allotted for that particular academic activity.

Guidelines for issuing credit hours for Published Medical text book / chapter in text book / Research Papers in International & National Index Medical Journals and Participation in International Conferences/CME’s/Workshops.
Sr. No. Publication of Medical Text Book Credit Hours
1) Author / Editor of Published Medical Text Book - 16 Hours
2) Author of Chapter Published in Medical Text Book - 4 Hours

Sr. No. Papers Published in International Index Journals Credit Hours
1) Original article - 12 Hours
2) Case Report - 6 Hours
3) Letter to Editor - 3 Hours

Sr. No. Papers Published in National Index Journals Credit Hours
1) Original Article - 8 Hours
2) Case Report - 4 Hours
3) Letter to Editor - 2 Hours

Sr. No. Participation in International Conferences Credit Hours
1) Guest Speaker / Resource Person in International Conferences - 4 Hours
2) Paper Presentation (Oral / Poster) in International - 3 Hours
3) Conferences Participation in International Conference as Delegate - 2 Hours

Modalities for accreditation
All state level organisations conducting CME Programmes at present should approach the Maharashtra Medical Council for accrediting these organisations.

On receipt of such request, Maharashtra Medical Councils shall consider the following factors for being granted accreditation for conducting CME programmes and shall award credit hours.
1. CME programme meant for graduate doctors should have a brief session on national health programmes on relevant subjects alongwith adequate exposure to recent advances, changing modalities of treatment, adequate exposure of consumer protection and medical insurance Laws, record keeping and medical audit.
2. The Organisation has all the requisites and demonstrated ability to plan and implement CME programmes to cover the targeted group (to be specified as general practitioners, specialists (disciplines to be specified), teachers (specialists to be specified), Vertical National Health Programme officials etc.
3. The organisations should provide the schedule and transcripts of each CME activity.
4. Organisations should make arrangements for advance publicity to the targeted group of participants.
5. The methodology of feed back evaluation programme should be intimated in advance.
6. The organisation should undertake to publish handouts, bring out a brief report of each CME and also prepare a list of participants and send to Maharashtra Medical Council as the case may be immediately after the CME programme.
7. Whether the transcript of each CME programme is considered to be relevant to the updating of the knowledge of the medical practitioners by way of latest medical advances, National Health Programmes, and the local needs of the area/zone/State.
8. Whether resource personnel are experienced enough in providing the CME programmes.
9. Whether arrangements are available for keeping record of participants along with their registration no., Medical Council where registered, complete address and the no. of credit hours of participation.
10. Whether the organisation as a programme of evaluation of CME to indicate the benefits accrued to participants by way of updating of knowledge, upgrading their ability and benefit to the patients.
11. Accreditation shall be for a period of five year at a time subject to renewal for a further period or curtailing or canceling the accreditation for valid reasons.
12. The list of the delegates who attended the CME should be sent to The Registrar, MMC alongwith MMC Registration Number delegates and CD of the CME.

Registers to be maintained by the Medical Councils.
Maharashtra Medical Council shall maintain a register (computer data based) showing the names of accredited organisations conducting CME programmes indicating the year for which the accreditation is valid and the names of registered medical practitioners with their registration No., Council with which registered, number of credit hours of CME attended by them (indicating the date/month/year} for the purpose of record so as to ensure that each medical practitioner fulfills the criteria of attending 30 credit hours in a period of 5 years.”

Keeping in view large volume of work to be handled by the Council in regard to approval of organisations conducting the CME course, keeping record of CME programmes attended each year by registered medical practitioners and coordinating with State Medical Councils etc.a separate section may be created for the purpose.
Continued Medical Education (C.M.E.) which will not be accredited:
1. The C.M.E.’s organized by a drug/ equipment company for promotion of the drug / equipment will not be entertained/ considered.
2. C.M.E’s organized by the individual nursing homes/ Hospitals/ persons for marketing purposes shall not be credited.
3. C.M.E. organized for self promotion/ advertisement will not be credited.

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