The mission of the continuing medical education (CME) program of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases is to plan, conduct, evaluate, and continuously improve educational activities with emphasis on evidence-based clinical and research topics in the field of infectious diseases. These activities are designed for healthcare professionals to foster professional development and enhance the provision of quality and equitable patient care. The expected results are to improve professional competence, performance in practice, patient outcomes, and public health.

Purpose

The CME mission of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) is to advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious diseases through the continuing professional education of healthcare professionals with responsibility for, or interest in, infectious diseases.

Content areas

Content will focus on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. Needs assessment data from various sources, including but not limited to, surveys, published research, public health policy, and expert opinions determine the content focus.

All activities will present scientifically rigorous and evidence-based content without commercial bias. CME activities will be planned, implemented, and evaluated based on principles of effective adult learning and will adhere to ACCME Accreditation Criteria, Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, and applicable policies.

Target audience

The intended target audience includes healthcare professionals from a variety of clinical, academic, and research settings.

Types of activities

NFID utilizes the instructional methods and media best suited to meeting the objectives of the specific educational activity. Formats include:

Live conferences and courses with didactic presentations, panel and roundtable discussions, small group interactions, case studies, and audience participation;
Self-directed enduring materials in print and electronic format; and
Internet-based enduring materials (archived activities).
Additional resources designed to support these CME activities include an updated website with focused disease- and age-specific content; fact sheets for healthcare professionals, media, and the general public; monographs, calls to action, and reports; and patient education materials.

Expected results

The NFID CME program is designed to achieve the following outcomes:

Participants will have increased competence through the acquisition of knowledge and new strategies to address the prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment of infectious diseases in their clinical, academic, or research setting.
Participants will utilize competencies acquired through educational activities to confirm current practice or make changes in practice to improve patient outcomes.
NFID is committed to assessing the results of each CME activity through post-activity evaluations and participant self-assessment of learning. These data are used to continuously improve future activities and the overall CME program.

 

Reviewed January 2023