Extensive Membership Research Articles

Continuing medical education: quality assurance and certification by the EADV

The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) prioritises the provision of high quality continuing medical education (CME) to its members.The European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) is currently establishing European Boards of the individual medical specialities to monitor and ensure high professional standards of European medical specialists and harmonisation among member nations. Within the next few years, national and supra-national authorities in Europe are expected to request documentation of participation in continuing medical education from physicians in order to maintain their full specialist competence, analogous to the conditions now pertaining in the US. In Belgium, participation in CME is mandatory for standard appointments with the health insurance.The EADV has developed procedures for quality assurance of the CME activities for the 3rd EADV congress in Copenhagen 1993, and the Skin Therapy Update Symposium in Crete 1994, using participant evaluation of the scientific programme. Following these meetings the EADV has issued individual certificates to the participants, documenting their CME activities. The results of the programme evaluation indicate a high standard of CME at the above meetings.The EADV wishes to develop as a competent sponsor of CME activities, to offer extensive membership service in this field, and to administer recognition of EADV-CME accreditation to other bodies.