Letter to CPD Organizers

Dear Colleagues,

HMC is an academic medical center with a vision to integrate health, education and research. CPD organizers play a pivotal role to deliver the academic health vision by actively promoting various educational activities within HMC. However, organization of an educational event involves a great deal of work. Therefore, consider planning your CPD activity in advance.

With the enclosed CPD framework (Toolkit A8 - CPD Framework & Definitions of CPD Categories) you can decide where your scientific planning committee meeting fits. DHP Accreditation Section (DHP-AS) sets rigorous standards for approval of an activity to qualify for CPD hours. Please read the standards (HMC CPD Toolkit A - Policies & Standards), with which you must comply to gain CPD. You need to think about these requirements as you plan the learning, consider what your learners need to learn, the composition and role and responsibilities of your Scientific Planning Committee (SPC) and Faculty.

If you are planning for CPD activity with support from commercial sponsors and/or seeking funds from your department or Medical Education Department, registration fees and/or seeks media support from HMC Corporate Communications Department (CCD), kindly e-mail first MedEd CPD Events MedEdCPDEvents@hamad.qa at least 1 year before the CPD activity for major CPD events and 3-6 months for small to medium size CPD activity ( See HMC CPD Toolkit B2 CPD Accreditation Flowchart). The CCD will not be able start designing marketing collateral or commence website development until you know whether you have CPD approval. Hence it is important you start planning early. You should provide CCD with a copy of your CPD approval notification so that they are aware of the number of hours accredited for your activity, the event activity code and (if applicable), the confirmed sponsors. This information is required to ensure all publicity is compliant with DHP standards.

When CPD activity is cleared from MedEdCPDEvents@hamad.qa and if it has no financial renumeration then you can directly e-mail MedEd CPD Application MedEdCPDApplication@hamad.qa or to your local CPD department to apply for CPD with the completed Notification Form in word format with all supporting documents at least 90 days (12 weeks) before the event, ideally well before, because we need to decide on approval, and CPD hours, with time to query details, then submit to the DHP 60 days(8 weeks) before the event. Please choose the correct category for the planned activity when you fill the Notification Form. The CPD Accreditation Application documents and guidance can be accessed from the link: www.hamad.qa/CPD

Category 1 activities include:

• Group Learning (Live, face-to-face conference, symposia, seminar, workshop)
• Educational Rounds and Journal Clubs
• On-line Synchronous and Blended Group Learning

Category 3 activities include:

• Simulation Activities
• Multisource Feedback Instruments
• Knowledge Assessment Programs
• Direct Observation of Procedure or Performance in Practice
• Clinical Audit Activities

The definitions of different categories are provided in the CPD Framework Toolkit.

Note: Category 2 activities do not require provider registration of activity; the individual simply enter their own learning (with certain evidence).

You also need to pay attention to the CPD conflict of interest declaration and management to ensure that educational content is balanced and free from bias either commercial or noncommercial. We strongly advise that you read through the standards document to ensure that your CPD activity arrangements comply as you move through the planning process.

• All SPC members and speakers must complete a conflict of interest (COI) declaration, (it’s fine to have COI, but they must be declared)
• SPC and speakers must have a ‘disclosure slide’ at the start of their talk

Please submit all forms and attachments to MedEdCPDApplication@hamad.qa if your meeting is running through the Medical Education Department. If your meeting is running through Nurse Midwifery Education, Dentistry, Laboratory, Allied Health Professions, Physicians, Pharmacy, Ambulance Service or HITC there may be separate administration arrangements, please contact your local team to check.

The Accreditation Standards stipulate a number of conditions. For example, A certificate of participation signed by SPC Chair and/or Department CPD Lead must be issued for accredited group learning activities. We will issue you the correct template with your CPD code once approved. You must use the template, which must specify the following:

• Title and code (generated as notification goes in) of activity.
• Name of the organization(s) that developed the activity.
• Date(s) the activity took place.
• Location of the activity (i.e. city, country, web-based).
• Total number of hours the activity is accredited for.
• Number of hours the registrant attended the activity.
• Applicable accreditation statement. This must be stated as (e.g.) “This activity is an Accredited Group Learning Activity (Category 1) as defined by the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Healthcare Professions – Accreditation Section and is approved for a maximum of xx hours
• Logo of MOPH
• Logo of the organization(s) that developed the activity (e.g. HMC, PHCC, Sidra)

Note that once the activity is coded and approved and hours are decided we will send you an approved certificate template for your activity

All material must contain the MOPH logo. Website, promotional materials, conference or educational leaflets must contain the same accreditation statement as above. Please ensure this does not appear on the same (web) page of Commercial sponsor logos or details (see Ethical Standards in Toolkit A). Obviously, you cannot put this on without approval so please apply early. CCD cannot proceed without confirmation of approval and CPD hours agreed.

A few other points:

1. A complete set of CPD documents are preferable for earlier and better review by MedEdCPDCompliance@hamad.qa. Only sponsored CPD activity requires sponsor agreement form during CPD application.
2. Please pay careful attention to the ethical standards if you have commercial sponsorship. A strict regulation is enforced. If you have sponsors you will need to (and them) to sign the agreement.

3. If you cancel your activity, change dates, add new dates you must let MedEdCPDApplication@hamad.qa or your department CPD lead know with a minimum of 2 weeks’ DHP will not accept such change at less than 2 weeks’ notice.
4. A full business case from Corporate Communicate Department for CPD activity with financial support is a must. Please contact MedEd CPD Events MedEdCPDEvents@hamad.qa +974 40256028 at the earliest opportunity for a step by step guidance.
5. There will be a Completion Statement to return after the event which needs to be submitted within 30 days after the activity takes place including the summary of participants/learners feedback evaluation.
6. There is no problem with running a worthwhile educational session without CPD, but as healthcare practitioners (HCP) seek to accumulate CPD they will not be able to count it.
7. If your course is aimed only at Students or Residents you do not need to apply for CPD , as they do not collect them, but if -e.g. nurses/ other qualified HCP are also included in your learners, they will not be able to gain CPD hours unless you seek approval.

Finally, the Medical Education Department has developed a comprehensive CPD Guidebook to plan, develop and successfully deliver your CPD activity. We encourage you to refer to the guidebook before planning your activity. We have also developed a CPD Toolkit package with three sets of Toolkits for your information and usage to deliver your activity – Toolkit A consists of Policies; Toolkit B has Guidelines and Toolkit C comprises of Forms for CPD Accreditation Application.

We thank you for your interest in CPD program and wish you the very best!

Dr M S Vijay Jeganath
Associate Director for Undergraduate Medical Education and CPD Hamad Medical Corporation​