For the full details, see the CME Handbook.
Process Overview.
Continued certification is contingent upon registration of 50 hours of eligible continuing medical education (CME) every two (2) years, including the year in which the CDQ Examination is taken. As a courtesy, CAAs may be reminded of CME submissions beginning in March and again in April. Omission of reminder notifications does not negate the CAA’s responsibility to register CMEs by the deadline of June 1st in the year CME registration is due. Continuing medical education must be registered according to the following regulations:
- Continuing medical education must be submitted within the NCCAA mobile app.
- The CAA should “Sign In” and complete the submission, including payment of the CME registration fee.
- CMEs may be entered within the CAA’s account as the credits are earned. The payment button will populate once the appropriate number of hours are entered.
- The deadline for CME registration and payment of CME registration fee is June 1st of the CME registration year. If the CAA was initially certified in an odd year, then each odd year, CME registration will be due.
- The CME registration fee is $295. Any change to the registration fee shall be posted on the NCCAA’s website with the effective date of change.
- For each two-year CME registration cycle, 50 hours of eligible continuing medical education must be completed and registered to maintain NCCAA certification. For each two-year CME registration cycle (June 1 – June 1), only CME credit earned in the applicable two-year time period will be eligible for registration. “Carrying over” previously earned credits is not acceptable.
- CME hours exceeding the 50 required hours for a registration period will not be registered.
- The content for 40 hours of each registration period must be CAA Category I – Anesthesia CME. That is CME in the field of anesthesia or one of its subspecialties (see Categories of CME below). The content for the remaining 10 hours may be CAA Category II – General Medicine or CAA Category II – Professional Development.
- ACLS/PALS instruction will be tabulated as anesthesia-related content and shall be eligible for submission provided the instructional course is approved by either the AAPA or ACCME. The practitioner must obtain and submit a certificate of CME credit awarded for the ACLS/PALS course to be eligible for registration. A maximum of four (4) hours of CME credit will be recognized by NCCAA for any ACLS or PALS course, regardless of the credit awarded on the certificate from the approved provider.
- CAAs must only claim the hours actually spent in the CME activity, regardless of the credit awarded on the certificate.
- The NCCAA will grant 50 hours of CME credit to any CAA who is a full-time student in good standing in a Liaison Committee on Medical Education-accredited school of medicine during a two- year CME registration cycle. Proof of status must be submitted to [email protected].
- The NCCAA will grant 50 hours of CME credit to any CAA who is a full-time student in good standing in a Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation-accredited school of osteopathic medicine during a two- year CME registration cycle. Proof of status must be submitted to [email protected].
Purpose.
In 2019, through an open email to the entire CAA population, the NCCAA invited CAAs to participate on a project team to review, gather input and make recommendations to the NCCAA on the process of NCCAA continued certification. A group of CAAs was appointed to the Continued Certification Feedback Workgroup (CCFW). Through survey, collection and analysis of data, and discussion, the CCFW developed a list of potential measures to be included in the continued certification of CAAs. The identified measures were reduced to the nine (9) most frequently identified measures to include in a continued certification of CAAs. Then, the CCFW prioritized the nine most frequently identified measures based on their individual criteria, which included objectivity of the measure, the ability to universally apply the measure to all CAAs, and feasibility both financially and administratively, etc.
The CCFW ranking of the items was allotted a numerical ranking based on the prioritization of each by the CCFW member. If ranked 1st, the measure was allotted 9 points; ranked 2nd, the measure was allotted 8 points, etc., until the 9th ranked measure was allotted 1 point.
Through this method, the CCFW applied their subjective understanding of the CAA profession, CAA education, and practice into an objective process. This resulted in a hierarchy of measurable components that could be considered for inclusion into a continued certification process for CAAs.
Through this process, the top two (2) measures to be considered for continued certification of CAAs by a large margin were:
- Increased CME Requirements.
- Continued CDQ Examination (assessment of knowledge), virtually equal in their importance.
The Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements for CAA continued certification are a result of this research.