ADA CERP PROVIDER NEWSLETTER Winter 2009 Articles
AGD PACE and ADA CERP Mutual Recognition Update A joint task force of members of the ADA CERP Committee and the Academy of General Dentistry's Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE) has been formed to compare the two programs' policies and procedures, identify any substantive differences between them, and propose revisions to ensure consistent standards for continuing dental education. The joint task force's charge is to achieve reciprocity between AGD PACE and ADA CERP in order to better serve dental professionals and ensure quality continuing dental education. Over the last 6 months, the joint task force has conducted a side-by-side review of the ADA CERP Recognition Standards and the AGD PACE Guidelines and proposed revisions to both documents designed to align and strengthen them. The group has focused on measures to ensure that "sole" providers comply with recognition standards that all providers are required to meet. In addition, the task force is reviewing the standards related to commercial conflict of interest to identify areas where clarification or expanded definitions are needed. Revisions proposed by the joint task force will be reviewed by the AGD PACE Committee and the ADA's Council on Dental Education and Licensure at their respective meetings in March and April. Substantive changes to the ADA CERP Recognition Standards will be circulated to the communities of interest for comment prior to final approval by the Council in November. Through the establishment of parallel recognition standards and comparable application processes, the Council and the joint task force hope to achieve a mutual recognition process whereby providers approved through either program will be recognized by the other. Current work plans project that mutual recognition may be implemented in January 2010, pending approvals from the Council and the AGD. Standard Application Form Revised Beginning with the Fall 2009 application cycle, ADA CERP will be using a newly revised Standard Application form for ADA CERP recognition. The Standard Application is the comprehensive form required from all new applicants. Recognized providers that are reapplying must also complete the Standard form if they received a 2-year term of recognition at the time of their last review, or if they submitted an Abbreviated Application at the time of their last review. (For more information about the Abbreviated Application, see below.) The new Standard Application has 30% fewer questions than the previous version of the form. Revisions include: (1) eliminating some questions requiring simple yes/no answers if evidence of a provider's practices are demonstrated elsewhere in the application; (2) reformatting some questions to include multiple choice answers to help applicants identify practices that demonstrate compliance; (3) adding several questions requiring short narrative responses that will allow applicants to provide more complete information about their continuing education programs. The Council believes the revised application will generate meaningful information about a CE provider's practices related to the CERP Standards and will make the process more relevant to providers. Providers applying for continued recognition in Fall 2009 that are required to submit a Standard Application received the revised form in January. The revised form is also available on the ADA CERP Web pages. All providers are encouraged to review the form and assess internal record-keeping practices to be sure that required documentation is being maintained. Providers that demonstrate substantial compliance with ADA CERP Recognition Standards will continue to be eligible to complete the Abbreviated Application form. Providers that submit a Standard Application for recognition and are awarded a 3- or 4-year term of recognition may submit an Abbreviated Application at the time of their next review. The Abbreviated Application form contains fewer questions and documentation requirements than the Standard Application. Providers submitting an Abbreviated Application for one recognition period will be required to complete the Standard Application for continued recognition at the time of their next review. Providers eligible to complete the Abbreviated Application receive the form approximately 9 months before their current terms expire. Provider Workshop in San Antonio Well Received Representatives from approximately 50 providers of continuing dental education attended the free 2-hour informational session on ADA CERP held during the ADA Annual Session in San Antonio. Dr. Denis "Chip" Simon, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure and former chair of the ADA CERP Committee, and CERP Committee members Ms. Dana Davis and Mr. Bill Butler, from the Oklahoma Dental Association and the University of Texas San Antonio Health Sciences Center, presented information about the application process and conducted in-depth reviews of specific Recognition Standards. A panel of CE providers responded to questions from the audience, and offered suggestions on ways to demonstrate compliance with the Standards. Panelists included Mr. Ward Blackwell, of the Louisiana Dental Association, Dr. John Preece, University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio School of Dentistry, and Ms. Lynda Young, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. Participant feedback regarding the session was very positive overall. Many of those in attendance commented that the information and examples presented were highly relevant and that they planned to use this information within their CE programs. ADA CERP plans to offer a similar program in conjunction with the 2010 ADA Annual Session in Orlando. Information about future workshops will be circulated as it becomes available. Online Resources for Continuing Dental Education Providers Providers are encouraged to bookmark the ADA CERP home page on the ADA Web site to access expanded information on ADA CERP. The reformatted CERP pages include details on the application process, time line and fee schedule, as well as policies and procedures. The new Resources for Providers page contains links to ADA CERP documents and policies, application materials, including a checklist for providers, examples of documentation that providers may adapt for use in their CE programs, as well as links to other helpful documents. Program announcements and new resources are posted periodically, so providers should check the site regularly. New ADA CERP Logo Now AvailableThe ADA CERP logo has been updated to be consistent with the style of the new ADA logo launched in 2008. The revised ADA CERP will be e-mailed to all recognized providers in a separate e-mail in the next few days. Providers may also request an electronic file from staff. Providers should use the new logo on new publications related to their CE activities and on verification of participation documents. The ADA CERP logo must always be used in conjunction with the authorized recognition statement: "[Provider name] is an ADA CERP recognized provider." Providers recognized through the Extended Approval Process (EAP), must use the following statement: "[Name of component society] is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider Policies governing the use of the recognition statement and logo remain unchanged. These may be found on the Resources for Providers page on the ADA CERP Web pages. The ADA CERP logo should not be used on organizational letterheads, or in any fashion that would imply that the organization is affiliated with ADA CERP or the ADA, other than as a recognized provider of continuing education. The ADA CERP recognition statement or logo should not be used to imply that any courses or credits have been approved or endorsed by ADA CERP or the ADA.
Program Participation—Fall 2008 The ADA CERP now recognizes 393 providers of continuing education. At its fall 2008 meeting, the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (CERP) Committee acted on 71 applications for recognition, 3 requests for reconsideration and 11 progress reports. The Committee granted recognition or continued recognition to 69 continuing education providers and accepted 9 progress reports.
Providers Awarded 4-year Terms of Recognition Congratulations to the following providers that were awarded four-year terms of recognition in November 2008:
View the complete List of ADA CERP Recognized Providers on the ADA Web site. Fifty percent of providers that submitted applications for ADA CERP recognition in Fall 2008 completed an evaluation survey about the application process. The majority of respondents found that the application form, materials and instructions were easy to use and understand. During each recognition decision cycle, ADA CERP asks providers to evaluate several aspects of the application process. Providers indicate their level of agreement with a series of eight statements related to different parts of the CERP application process. When possible, results from Fall 2008 surveys were compared with results from previous application periods.
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 a CERP provider's program administrator and any change of address, phone, fax or e-mail address for the provider's primary CERP contact; 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 Policy Statement on Reporting Substantive Change or the ADA CERP Recognition Standards & Procedures for more information on reporting substantive changes. Deadline for Submitting Applications and Progress Reports July 10, 2009, is the deadline for submission of applications and progress reports for the Fall 2009 decision cycle. Providers whose recognition term ends December 2009 were notified by e-mail that their applications for continued recognition will be due in July. Application packets containing preprinted tabs were also mailed. If your recognition term ends next December and you did not receive any application materials, please contact ADA CERP staff at the numbers listed at the end of this document. If your organization does not intend to apply for continued recognition, please submit written notice of your intent to withdraw voluntarily from the program. Comments, Suggestions, or Questions About ADA CERP The purpose of the ADA CERP Provider Newsletter is to inform recognized providers and other interested audiences about issues and changes related to ADA CERP. We welcome your inquiries and input about ADA CERP. Suggestions for content for the newsletter are also appreciated. CDEL/ADA CERP Leadership Dr. Denis "Chip" Simon Dr. Brian Kennedy CDEL/ADA CERP Staff Ms. Karen M. HartDirector, CDEL hartk@ada.org 800-621-8099, x2825 Ms. Mary Borysewicz Ms. Kimberly A. Hendricks American Dental Association - ADA CERP
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