ADA CERP PROVIDER NEWSLETTER Winter 2008 Articles
Eligibility Criteria of the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures to Change in 2009 The American Dental Association’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure, at its November 2007 meeting, approved a revision to the eligibility requirements of the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures. Effective June 1, 2009, the statement “The ADA CERP does not recognize individual instructors or authors,” will be deleted from the section on Eligibility. As reported in the Summer 2007 newsletter, the Council and its Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) Committee have been working with representatives of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) towards achieving mutual recognition between that organization’s Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE) and the ADA’s Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP). As a result of joint efforts in the last few years, the recognition standards for the two programs have evolved so that they are essentially parallel, with a few exceptions. One of the remaining differences between the programs is ADA CERP’s exclusion of sole providers from consideration for recognition. In order to better align the programs, in April of last year the Council proposed deleting the criterion barring individual instructors or authors from applying for CERP recognition. ADA CERP recognized providers, national dental specialty organizations, ADA constituent societies, dental schools, and state dental boards were invited to submit comments on the proposed revision in June 2007. Comments were considered by the Council at its November 2007 meeting. Based on the feedback received, the Council concluded that there is strong interest among continuing dental education providers regarding the possibility of mutual recognition between ADA CERP and AGD PACE, and an equally strong interest in maintaining high standards in continuing dental education. Alignment of ADA CERP and AGD PACE, mutual recognition between the two programs, and the elimination of duplicative application processes were cited as the chief reasons in support of the proposed revision. Concerns about the proposed change focused on the increased potential for commercial bias in CE activities offered by sole providers, in the absence of sufficient checks and balances such as a peer review process. Respondents on both sides of the issue emphasized the importance of ensuring that all providers, whether individuals or organizations, demonstrate compliance with guidelines that establish credible, non-promotional continuing education. The Council and the CERP Committee believe that the AGD and ADA can better advance standards and improve the quality of continuing dental education by working in concert. The Council therefore resolved to continue to pursue mutual recognition, and to approve the proposed revision allowing individuals to apply for ADA CERP recognition. The revised eligibility requirements will be implemented June 1, 2009. Based on this time line, sole providers will be eligible to apply for ADA CERP beginning in July 2009. In the coming months, the Council and the ADA CERP Committee will carefully review the Recognition Standards to identify any corollary revisions that may be needed in order to ensure that CE providers comply with existing requirements for non-commercial continuing education with a sound scientific basis. In addition, representatives of ADA CERP and AGD PACE will continue to work together towards mutual recognition between the two programs. Updates on this process will be published in future issues of this newsletter. The Council and the CERP Committee thank all those who submitted comments in response to the Council’s proposal to revise the ADA CERP eligibility requirements. Thoughtful input from all stakeholders is essential to the success of the continuing dental education enterprise, to the dental professionals we serve, and to the health and safety of the public. Annual Fee Billing Cycle to Change: ADA CERP Annual Fees Due July 1 In order to streamline operations and simplify billing processes ADA CERP is moving to a single annual fee invoicing cycle for all recognized providers. Currently, invoices for the annual fee are sent on a schedule linked to the provider’s decision cycle, so that providers regularly evaluated in the spring cycle have been invoiced for the ADA CERP annual fee in the spring, and providers in the fall cycle have been invoiced in the fall. Beginning in 2008, all providers will be invoiced for the annual fee in May. Payment will be due by July 1, 2008. The change of billing dates will affect providers as follows. ADA CERP recognized providers on the spring application and evaluation cycle that previously received annual fee invoices in March will receive invoices 2 month later. Providers on the fall application cycle that previously received annual fee invoices in October will receive invoices 5 months earlier. The fee invoiced in May will be for the current calendar year. The annual fee for 2008 will remain $285. As stated in the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures, providers are required to pay an annual fee in order to maintain recognition status. Fees are based on the operating expenses of the program. Non-payment of required fees will be viewed as the provider’s decision to voluntarily withdraw from the program.
Abbreviated Application for Continued Recognition In order to improve the application process, and in response to feedback gathered through surveys of ADA CERP applicants, the CERP Committee implemented an Abbreviated Application for Continued Recognition in 2007. The abbreviated application form for continued recognition contains 70% fewer questions than the full application. Recognized providers that complete a Standard Application for Recognition, demonstrate substantial compliance with ADA CERP Standards, and receive a 3- or 4-year term of recognition will be eligible to submit an abbreviated application at the time of their next review. Providers eligible to complete the shorter form are notified by ADA CERP approximately 9 months before their current terms expire. Providers receive a customized electronic file of the abbreviated application form and 4 sets of tabs for organizing the application. Providers submitting abbreviated applications for one recognition period are required to complete a Standard Application for Recognition at the time of their next review.Fall 2007 Program Participation UPDATE At its fall 2007 meeting, the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) Committee acted on 77 ADA CERP applications, 2 requests for reconsideration and 8 progress reports. The Committee granted recognition or continued recognition to 67 continuing education providers and accepted 7 progress reports. The ADA CERP now recognizes 372 providers of continuing education. The current distribution of ADA CERP recognized providers by organizational type is listed in the chart below.
Congratulations to the following providers that were awarded four-year terms of recognition in fall 2007: View the complete List of ADA CERP Recognized Providers on ADA.org. Fall 2007 Applicants Evaluation Survey Results During each recognition decision cycle, ADA CERP asks providers to evaluate several aspects of the application process. Data collected is used by the CERP Committee to assess CERP processes and identify needed improvements. A total of 44 providers applying for recognition or continued recognition in the Fall 2007 cycle (59% of the applicants) completed the evaluation survey. Whenever possible, results from the Fall 2007 evaluation survey were compared with results from Spring 2006, Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 surveys. It is worth noting that the Abbreviated Application for Continued Recognition was introduced for the first time in the Fall 2007 cycle. Of the providers responding to the Fall 2007 evaluation survey, 27% submitted the Abbreviated Application. Respondents to the survey were asked to indicate their level of agreement with a series of eight statements related to different parts of the CERP application process. The response choices were: Strongly Agree, Agree, No Opinion, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree. Overall, high levels of agreement were evident among Fall 2007 applicants for all eight statements, though the strength varied between statements.
When asked to estimate how many hours were spent completing the CERP application, the answers were well dispersed. Equal percentages of respondents reported that it took between 31 to 40 hours (14%) and 41 to 50 hours (14%). Nearly equal percentages of respondents reported that it took them between 10 to 20 hours (23%), 21 to 30 hours (28%) and more than 50 hours (19%). Another 2% said the application took less than 10 hours to complete. There were no apparent trends in time to complete the application since Spring of 2006. Redundancy in the CERP application was noticed by around just over one third of Fall 2007 responding providers, as 34.9% answered “Yes” to the question “Did the CERP application ask for the same information more than once?” This percentage has dropped consistently on each survey since its high of 53.7% in Spring 2006. Under half of Fall 2007 respondents (41.9%) indicated that they had to contact CERP staff for help in completing the application. This percentage has dropped from the 63.4% who required assistance in Spring 2006.General Information for ADA CERP Providers Appropriate Use of the ADA CERP Recognition Statement and Logo
Providers are also encouraged to use the CERP logo in conjunction with the recognition statement. The use of the logo is not required; however, if it is used it must be accompanied by the authorized recognition statement. The logo or recognition statement should not be used to imply that any CE activities or CE credit hours have been approved or endorsed by ADA CERP or the ADA. For instance, providers may not refer to “ADA CERP credits” or state “ADA CERP approved” in publicity or course materials. Policies governing the use of the recognition statement and logo are included in the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures, under Standards XI. Publicity, and XIV. Record Keeping, and Regulations Governing the Recognition Process. Recognized providers may request the logo in electronic or camera ready formats by contacting Kim Hendricks at hendricksk@ada.org or at 800-621-8099 ext. 2869.CERP Providers CE Course Listings on ADA.org The course listing may be searched by all dental professionals, including ADA members and non-members alike. The list is searchable by topic area, course location, and educational format, allowing individuals to find CE activities that meet their needs and interests. Links to the providers’ websites facilitate access to more information about the providers’ CE activities. To post information about your organization’s CE courses, you will need your assigned user ID and password, and the URL for the self-service web page. There is no fee for posting activities in this online list, and you may update information at any time, as often as you like. For information about the listing service, and to obtain your user ID and password, contact the ADA CERP program assistant at hendricksk@ada.org. Please include the name of the recognized provider and the name of the person responsible for entering course listings.Reporting Provider Changes Substantive changes to a provider’s CE program must be reported to ADA CERP in writing. Substantive changes, as defined by the ADA CERP Policy Statement on Reporting Substantive Changes, may include, but are not limited to: changes to the provider’s ownership, legal status, or form of control; changes in the CE program’s sources of financial support; or the introduction of a new educational method. Please refer to the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures for more information on reporting substantive changes. Deadline for Submitting Applications and Progress Reports July 11, 2008 is the deadline for submission of applications and progress reports for the fall 2008 decision cycle. Currently recognized providers whose recognition term ends December 2008 will receive application packets for continued recognition in early February 2008. The next submission deadline will be January 9, 2009. Providers whose term of recognition ends in June 2009 will receive application materials in August 2008. Providers are eligible to complete the Abbreviated Application for Continued Recognition will receive a customized application. Current versions of the ADA CERP Recognition Standards and Procedures, policies and guidelines, application forms, and other resources for providers are available on ADA.org. Handwritten applications or applications submitted on obsolete forms can not be accepted.The CERP Committee has established a process whereby recognized providers that are due to submit applications for continued recognition may request an extension of the application deadline. Providers requesting consideration for an extension must submit a request in writing stating the reasons why the provider is unable to meet the established deadline, and submit a fee of $210. Requests for extension will be reviewed by the CERP Committee. If approved, the provider’s term of recognition will be extended until the next decision cycle. Deadline extensions will be considered for applications for continued recognition only. No deadline extensions will be granted for Progress Reports. ADA CERP requires providers to use the standardized, pre-printed tabs to organize applications for recognition and continued recognition. The tabs are labeled to correspond to each section of the application, and include checklists of the information and documentation required for each section. Providers who are due to submit applications for continued recognition will receive 4 sets of tabs approximately 6 months prior to the submission deadline for that decision cycle. New applicants should request tabs by contacting ADA CERP staff at hendricksk@ada.org or at 800-621-8099 ext. 2869. ADA CERP Resources and Documents ADA CERP staff are available to assist providers with questions about the application process, progress reports, ADA CERP policies and other aspects of the recognition program. Please contact the ADA CERP program assistant, Ms. Kim Hendricks at 800-621-8099, extension 2869 or hendricksk@ada.org. Many resources to support CE providers are currently available on the ADA website or by contacting ADA CERP staff.
Available on request from the ADA CERP staff:
Comments, Suggestions, or Questions CDEL/ADA CERP Leadership Dr. Frank Maggio Dr. Denis (Chip) Simon ADA CERP Staff: Ms. Karen M. Hart Ms. Mary Borysewicz Ms. Kimberly A. Hendricks American Dental Association—ADA CERP
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