On October 28, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians submitted comments opposing proposed revisions to 4731-10-02 Requisite Hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) for License Renewal or Reinstatement. The proposed rule would require physicians to complete one hour of CME every two years on the duty to report misconduct. This proposal is a direct result of the investigation into the State Medical Board of Ohio’s (SMBO) handling of the investigation involving Dr. Richard Strauss at The Ohio State University.
The OAFP has a long-standing policy of opposing the mandate of content specific CME as a condition of licensure. Physicians are professionals who should have the ability to choose what CME they need to provide appropriate care within their unique practice setting for their patients.
With the SMBO’s recent support of the reduction of CME for licensure of MDs, DOs, and DPMs, this ability to select pertinent and appropriate CME for the individual licensee’s practice and patient population is even more important. Given the scope of topics on which physicians need to stay current, mandating the completion of one hour of CME every two years on this single issue seems excessive. We certainly agree that it is vitally important that licensees understand and abide by the licensee’s duty to report misconduct provisions of the law, but think that devoting one hour out of the required 50 every two years is extreme. Could not the same goal be accomplished by a statement on the licensure application reiterating the licensee’s duty to report misconduct with a checkbox that the licensee must check verifying that they have read and understand (to be completed every licensing cycle)?
Over the years, content specific CME as a condition of licensure has been proposed many, many times on a variety of hot button topics. Topics tend to address a current issue that may diminish in urgency over time or is adequately addressed in other ways. If all of these topics were mandated, physicians would be locked into very specific areas of learning which address a hot topic at the time but may or may not be beneficial to them and their practice long-term or even immediately. Yes, physicians need to understand and follow the duty to report misconduct provisions of section 4731.224 of the Ohio Revised Code, but we question whether mandating one hour of CME on this topic every two years is the best way to ensure understanding and compliance now and into the future.
Comments can be submitted to Kimberly Anderson at the SMBO. The deadline for submitting comments is Friday, November 15.