SPC Chair Responsibilities
- Certifying the CPD activity is developed or co-developed with a Physician Organization (PO). The PO must be involved in the development of the CPD activity from selecting the SPC members to the evaluation outcome. Click here to see the definition of a Physician Organization.
- Ensuring that the SPC structure is formed with representatives of the target audience.
- Accountable for the accuracy of the information provided on the CPD Accreditation/Certification Application form and submitting mandated supporting documentation.
- No later than eight (8) weeks following the completion of the accreditation/certification period, submit a completed Final Report Form and all supporting materials to finalize the accreditation/certification process. This includes:
- All promotional materials disseminated
- Copy of the syllabus – if applicable
- Handouts distributed
- All Participants List-Excel Spreadsheet: including name of activity, participant’s first name, family name, license number, province, activity date, credit type, email and credit quantity
- Sign-in-sheet/tracking attendance report: including participants first name, family name, license number and/or for face-2-face activities participant signatures
- Compiled results (summary) of evaluation forms received
- Signed copies of the Declaration of Potential Conflict of Interest forms from resource persons not previously submitted
SPC Chair & Members Responsibilities
Being a member of the SPC implies having had significant involvement in the development, planning and implementation of the activity. Members of the SPC will be held accountable for how content is presented and will be required to respond to any concerns regarding CPD guideline violations.
- Accountable for the planning, developing and implementing of the CPD activity.
- Warranting that the educational content developed is balanced, scientifically valid and is evidence based.
- Conducting a needs assessment to identify the learning needs of the target audience.
- Creating learning objectives describing the participants behaviors/skills or outcomes from partaking in the activity (LOs must be created based on the results of the needs assessment conducted). See Bloom Taxonomy - Action Verbs / Royal College - Quick Tips on Learning Objectives / CFPC - Quick Tips on Learning Objectives.
- Choosing the learning/delivery formats in alignment with the learning needs.
- Controlling the process by which the topics, content and speaker(s) are selected:
- Review all CoI disclosure forms – disclosure of financial relationships
- Establishing a process to manage disclosed conflicts of interest
- Planning and implementing educational activities based on the learning needs and objectives
- Discussing key elements linked to the development of the activity. Discussion must include: the method used to review the completed CoI forms from all resource persons, including those of the SPC members; strategy used to manage potential or real conflicts of interest; timeline, budget, and the flow of funds; identification and development of the learning objectives; selection of the learning format; selection of speakers, etc. See Sample - SPC Program Planning Meeting Minutes / Strategies for Mitigating COI.
- Ensuring that presentations and all presented materials are consistent in their use of the generic names or both generic and trade names.
- Ensuring that funds received are in the form of an educational grant payable to the SPC/physician organization.
- Ensuring that all resource persons communicate (verbal and with slides) a statement on conflict of interest to the participants. Check a template of displaying COI and Learning Objectives.
- Conducting evaluations for individual sessions and the overall activity.
The SPC must include a representative of the target audience
- MOC accreditation: As part of the target audience, specialist physicians must be represented on the SPC. It is mandatory that a member of the SPC be affiliated with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). For programs held outside of Canada, and the target audience includes specialists of locality, it is mandatory that a representative of the target audience be included in the SPC. In addition, a member of the SPC must also be affiliated with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Representative of a commercial interest organization may attend SPC meetings but are not permitted to participate in decisions related to CPD program elements.
- Mainpro+ provincial certification: For a provincial face-to-face/live one-credit-per-hour activity, it is mandatory that a member of the SPC be affiliated with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. In addition, a member of the committee must reside in Quebec and be an active member of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC). No commercial interest organization representative is permitted to participate in SPC meetings.
- Mainpro+ national certification: For a national online self-study one-credit-per-hour activity, it is mandatory that a minimum of three (3) active CFPC members from any region of Canada (one must be a resident of Quebec) are members of the SPC. In addition, a member of the committee must also be affiliated with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. No commercial interest organization representative is permitted to participate in SPC meetings.
CPD Accreditation/Certification Criteria
- College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC): Understanding MAINPRO+ Certification
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC): Maintenance of Certification (MOC)
- National Standards for Support of Accredited CPD Activities
- Canadian Medical Association’s (CMA) Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry
- Le Conseil Québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins (CQDPCM): 2016 Code of Ethics for parties involved in Continuing Medical Education