Revised: March 2015

CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) is a national not-for-profit professional medical society of cardiovascular specialists and researchers. The CCS mission is to promote cardiovascular health and care through a variety of mechanisms including knowledge translation and continuing professional development
(CPD).
The Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) is an accredited provider of continuing professional development
(CPD) for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College). Accredited providers approve activities that satisfy the standards for group events (Section 1) and self-assessment programs (Section
3) of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. As an accredited provider, the CCS seeks to foster knowledge translation through CPD by developing, co-developing, and accrediting a range of programs for the cardiovascular professional community.
This document contains the procedures and policies to be followed by organizations seeking CCS Section1 MOC
Accreditation.
The CCS aligns its practices with the ethical and educational standards of the MOC program. As such, the CCS follows the Royal College processes for program development so that all CCS-accredited programs are:

Target audience-driven and based on their identified perceived and unperceived educational needs.

Physician/member-relevant and physician/member driven

Evidence-based

Free of industry bias

Aligned with best practices in adult learning
Programs must promote interaction between participants and faculty, have defined start and end dates, require registration and proof of completion, and involve CCS members in development, dissemination and delivery.
Examples of typical CCS accredited programs include the following:

National and regional conferences and symposia

Workshops

Online group learning activities

Self-assessment programs
The CCS focuses on accrediting comprehensive, interactive programs as opposed to stand-alone resources or supporting materials. Examples of resources that do not fit the CCS model for accredited programs include the following:

Journal articles

Posters

Slide kits* (static, industry-developed, off-the-shelf packages of presentation materials intended for dissemination by sales representatives and/or other non-CCS members)

Pocket Guides

Smart phone applications
*Note: From time to time CCS member physician groups may develop slide presentations that are intended for small group learning among cardiovascular professionals
– delivered by physicians to physicians. When applications are made to the CCS for accreditation of this type of resource, the CCS Accreditation Assessors will review the development process, content and dissemination strategy against Royal College accreditation policies for group learning activities to determine whether the resource is eligible for accreditation.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Determine whether you are a Physician or Non-Physician Organization and follow the applicable procedures and policies for seeking accreditation.
Note: Non-Physician organizations must enter into a co-development relationship with the CCS and must contact the CCS
the initial program planning begins.
There cannot be any program development other than a topic and needs assessment.
The applicant will abide by the Canadian Medical Association policy, Guidelines for Physicians in Interaction with
Industry and/or the " Relations between Medical Organizations and Business Corporations " guide developed by
Conseil québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins.
The CCS will not accredit any programs that do not align with the Canadian Medical Association’s Guidelines or adhere to the Royal College accreditation standards.
The information contained in the application shall be the product of the Planning Chair, who shall be responsible and accountable for compliance with the requirements for approval. The CCS reserves the right to request additional information to assist in the review.
Please ensure that the application is complete and contains all the information and the signatures required.
Incomplete applications may lead to a delay in the accreditation process.
CCS policies and procedures for accreditation differ for educational activities developed by physician and nonphysician organizations. Physician organizations develop complete educational programs and seek accreditation from CCS. Non-physician organizations must enter into a co-development relationship with the CCS (or another physician organization) in order to have their educational program accredited for MOC Section 1. Use the definition below to determine whether or not you qualify as physician organization:
A physician organization is a not-for-profit group of health professionals with a formal governance structure, accountable to and serving, among others, its specialist physician members through:

Continuing professional development;

Provision of health care and/or

Research.
This definition includes (but is not limited to) the following groups:

Faculties of medicine;

Hospital departments or divisions;

Medical societies;

Medical associations;

Medical academies;

Physician research organizations; or

Health authorities not linked to government agencies
This definition excludes pharmaceutical companies or their advisory groups, medical supply and surgical supply companies, communication companies or other for-profit organizations and ventures/activities.
Types of organizations that are not considered physician organizations

Disease-oriented patient advocacy organizations (e.g. Canadian Diabetes Association)

Government departments or agencies (e.g. Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada)

Industry (e.g. pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, etc.)

Medical education or communications (MEC) companies (e.g. CME Inc.)
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form

'For-profit' on-line educators, publishing companies or simulation companies (e.g. Medscape, CAE)

Small number of physicians working together to develop educational programming
The physician organization has the following responsibilities when developing educational activities for accreditation:

The development of content and the adherence to ethical and educational standards.

The payment of all honoraria all honoraria recipients.

Providing certificates of attendance to all participants.

Keeping all records of attendance for the approved CPD event. Such correspondence may be requested of participants by the Royal College's Credit Validation Program
Non-physician organizations must enter into a co-development relationship with the CCS (or another physician organization) in order to have their educational program accredited for MOC Section 1 approval.
When co-developing an event with the CCS, the non-physician organization must contact the CCS before the initial planning of the program begins. At this time, there must be no additional development on the program other than a topic and needs assessment until the CCS assigns a CCS Representative to sit on the Planning
Committee. The CCS Representative will participate fully in the activities of the Planning Committee including content development, implementation, and evaluation. To maintain impartiality, the CCS Representative may not present at the educational program that is being developed.
For more detailed information concerning the role of the CCS Representative, please refer to the “ Handbook for
Planning Committees Developing Educational Programs ".
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Submit a Section 1 Accreditation Request form to ensure that the topics and educational needs align with the CCS CPD committee’s aims and goals. The review of your request should take no more than 10 working days.
If the request for accreditation is approved by the CPD Committee, you may obtain the “CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational
Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application”
form and submit it with all necessary requirements and supporting documentation at least 8 weeks in advance of the intended date to advertise the approved CPD activity.
↓
Submit a Section 1 Accreditation Request form to ensure that the topics and educational needs align with the CCS CPD committee’s aims and goals. The review of your request should take no more than 10 working days.
↓
If the request for accreditation is approved by the CPD
Committee, the CCS will assign a representative to the Planning
Committee who participates fully in the activities of the Planning
Committee including in needs assessment, program design, implementation, ethics and evaluation.
Approved CPD Activities must include the following statement on all activity materials, including the certificate of attendance: "This event is an accredited group learning activity under Section 1 as defined by the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of
Canada for the Maintenance of Certification program.
Approved by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society for a maximum of << >> credits."
↓
Obtain the
“CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational
Activities: Policies, Procedures and Application” form and submit it with all necessary requirements and supporting documentation at least 8 weeks in advance of the intended date to advertise the approved CPD activity.
↓
The physician organization ensures fulfillment of approval requirements for accreditation.
↓
The CCS ensures fulfillment of approval requirements for codevelopment.
↓
The physician organization is responsible for providing certificates of attendance to all participants.
↓
The physician organization is responsible for payment of honoraria to faculty.
↓
Approved CPD activities must include the following statement on all program materials, including the certificate of attendance:
"This event is an accredited group learning activity under
Section 1 as defined by the Royal College of Physicians &
Surgeons of Canada for the Maintenance of Certification program. It is approved by the Canadian Cardiovascular
Society for a maximum of << >> credits. This {name of program} was co-developed with the Canadian
Cardiovascular Society and {name of co-developing organization} and was planned to ensure the evidence presented is valid, objective and balanced."
↓
The CCS will issue all honoraria payments to all honorarium recipients.
(Please refer to the Honoraria Process on page 5.)
For our records, please provide the following at the completion of your program:

A complete list of attendees.

A copy of all final conference documentation for this event.

A summary of the submitted evaluation forms within one month of the event
The physician organization must keep records of attendance for the approved CPD activity. Such correspondence may be requested of participants by the Royal College's Credit Validation Program.
↓
Please provide the following at the completion of your program:

A complete list of attendees in an excel spreadsheet for
CCS to send out the certificates of attendance.

A copy of all final conference documentation for this event.

A summary of the submitted evaluation forms within one month of the event
↓
The CCS will keep all records of attendance the approved CPD event. Such correspondence may be requested of participants by the Royal College's Credit Validation Program.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Following the completion of the program, you must submit the following documentation:

Excel spreadsheet with a list of attendees and their corresponding email addresses.

A summary of the submitted evaluations, along with the individual evaluation forms.

Finalized conference and promotional materials distributed to participants. (Final programme, invitations, delegate bag inserts etc.)
Honoraria Payment Process to be Followed by Non-Physician Organizations after each Iteration of the
Accredited Event:
Programs that are co-developed with non-physician organization must have the honoraria payments flow through the CCS.
(All required forms are located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )
1. All honoraria recipients must complete the CCS Honorarium Form.
2. The CCS also requires the CCS Honorarium Disbursement Form that lists all of the honoraria to be paid, with amounts (including applicable taxes). Taxes are based on the province in which the recipient resides.
3. Completed Honorarium and Honorarium Disbursement forms must be submitted to the CCS within five (5) business days of the end date of the learning activity.
4. Upon receipt of the required forms, CCS will issue an invoice for the total amount.
5. Once this invoice is paid, the honoraria cheques will be processed and sent to recipients within four to six weeks of receiving payment for the invoice.
6. Honoraria are processed free of charge when there are less than 10 recipients per educational program.
Educational programs that have more than 10 honoraria recipients per program will be charged a 5% administration fee based on the total cost of the honoraria.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
The following program development criteria and policies must be incorporated and followed to meet the requirements for CCS accreditation. For more detailed information on program development and the following criteria, please refer to the “ Handbook for Planning Committees Developing Educational Programs ".
Criteria 1: Planning Committee
To ensure the relevance and value of the learning activity for the participants, the program must be developed by a planning committee that is representative of the intended target audience. CCS policies for Planning
Committee composition are:

Only those representing the target audience may be members of the Planning Committee.

No members of industry may participate on the Planning Committee.

Staff from the sponsoring organization may not participate as members of the Planning Committee.

The Planning Committee must have a minimum of three (3) members.
Criteria 2: Needs Assessment
The planning committee must implement a formal educational needs assessment strategy to identify the target audience's perceived and unperceived learning needs. By determining these needs, the planning committee will be able to establish general and event specific learning objectives to ensure that selected topics are relevant to the target audience.
For more information on educational needs assessments, please refer to the “ Handbook for Planning Committees
Developing Educational Programs ” or visit the following link to needs assessment information at the Royal
College website.
Criteria 3: Learning Objectives
The planning committee must establish general and event specific learning objectives to assist participants in determining whether selected topics are relevant to their learning needs. Learning objectives must clearly map the direction of the content, how it will be presented and the expected outcome for all parties involved. Learning objectives must be:
 derived from the identified perceived and unperceived needs of the target audience
 printed on the program brochure and all handout materials.
 observable and measurable behaviors
 identify a change in knowledge, skills or attitudes of the learner at the end of the program.
 based on action verbs and worded in the following manner: “At the end of this program participants will be able to:”
For more information in learning objectives, please refer to the “ Handbook for Planning Committees Developing
Educational Programs " or visit the following link to learning objectives information at the Royal College website.
Criteria 4: Interactivity.
To be eligible for accreditation, at least 25% of the program's educational time for the presentation (that is, 15 minutes per hour) must be reserved for discussion and interaction.
The development of the educational format should be designed to best present the content developed. For example, for controversial material, a debate may be an appropriate format. Or for content based on interprofessional issues, small group breakout groups may be appropriate. For skills development simulation or performance assessment activities may be appropriate.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Criteria 5: Evaluation
The event must include an evaluation of the established learning objectives and provide opportunities for participants to identify what they have learned and its potential impact for their practice.
As each program may differ in scope, evaluation forms may need to be modified to receive the best information from your target audience.A Sample Session Evaluation form template can be found on the CCS website at: http://www.ccs.ca/index.php/en/professional-development/accreditation-information
Criteria 6: Ethics and Finance
The applicant will ensure that any potential conflicts of interest for faculty/speakers, moderators, and members of the planning committee are managed by the planning committee and declared to the respective audience within the printed/online program and as a second slide as part of the presentation. The second slide should be displayed for an appropriate amount of time for participants to read.
Here are some suggestions for managing any potential conflict of interest in a program:

Ask another faculty member without a conflict of interest based on that content to present
 assign them another role within the program that is not relevant to the conflict of interest.

Ask the faculty member to withdraw from planning activities involving content in which they have a conflict of interest.
 Limit the content of the faculty member’s presentation so that recommendations for treatment are not included
 limit the recommendations to those based on clear evidence from medical literature.
 peer review of the content to ensure that the principles of scientific integrity, objectivity and balance have been respected.
Tagging of Individual Sessions:
As of July 1, 2012, the practice of tagging was discontinued at accredited group learning events. Tagging is the linking of sponsorship funding to a specific session within an accredited group learning event.
All sponsorship funds for accredited group learning events must be received as an educational grant and included as a source of revenue within the overall budget supporting the event in its entirety.
All organizations providing educational grants must be acknowledged as supporting the entire event. As an example, a summary page can be created recognizing the contribution of all sponsors.
Purely non-educational activities, such as delegate breakfasts, may be `tagged' but must not be included as part of an accredited group learning event.
No reference may be made to the CCS or its CPD approval system prior to the actual notification that Section 1 accreditation has been granted. Do not state “ MOC/CPD accreditation pending ” or similar wording in any preliminary documentation relating to the learning activity.
Once the educational program has been accredited, the accreditation statements must be incorporated within all program publications and advertisements. Please note that prior to publication/printing all documents including a
CCS logo must be pre-approved by the CCS.
Accreditation Statement for Educational Events Developed by a Physician Organization
This event is an accredited group learning activity under Section 1 as defined by the Royal College of Physicians
& Surgeons of Canada for the Maintenance of Certification program. Approved by the Canadian Cardiovascular
Society for a maximum of <<>>credits.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Accreditation Statement for Educational Events Co-Developed by a Non-Physician Organization
This event is an accredited group learning activity under Section 1 as defined by the Royal College of Physicians
& Surgeons of Canada for the Maintenance of Certification program. It is approved by the Canadian
Cardiovascular Society for a maximum of << >> credits. This {name of program} was co-developed with the
Canadian Cardiovascular Society and {name of co-developing organization} and was planned to ensure the evidence presented is valid, objective and balanced.
Accreditation Statement for American Medical Association PRA Category 1 Credits:
“Through an agreement between the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Medical Association, physicians may convert Royal College MOC credits to
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Information on the process to convert Royal College MOC credit to AMA credit can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/internationalcme
Accreditation Fees: $1,000 + HST
Accreditation Fees: $8,500 + HST
Repeat Fees for Accredited Events that Repeat Throughout the Year:
For events that occur less than 5 times a year: $750.00 + HST per event.
For events that occur more than 5 times a year: $200.00 + HST per event.
This applies to small group learning programs or train-the-trainer sessions.
Please refer the CCS website for required forms and resources:
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Manager of Continuing Professional Development
1403-222 Queen Street Ottawa ON K1P 5V9
Tel.: (613) 569-3407, ext 410 Fax: (613) 569-6574
E-mail: cpd@ccs.ca
Website: www.ccs.ca
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
(Please complete the following form and return to the CCS along with all supporting documentation)
The information contained in the application shall be the product of the Planning Chair, who shall be responsible and accountable for compliance with the requirements for approval. The CCS reserves the right to request additional information to assist in the review.
Are you a Physician Organization? Yes No
(Please refer to the definition of a physician organization in the “CPD Section 1 Accreditation Application Instructions”)
Title of the proposed educational program:
Date(s) of the proposed educational program:
Location of the educational program:
Registration contact information or website:
Name of the Chair of the Planning Committee:
Mailing Address:
Email: Phone :
Name of communication firm or sponsoring company planning the educational program (If applicable):
Mailing Address:
Email: Phone:
Invoices are to be issued to: Planning Committee Chair Communication firm Sponsoring
Company
List all organizations developing or co-developing this educational event:
Have you submitted this application to another accredited provider?
Yes No
Is this application for a One time program
(Please refer to the Repeat Event Fee Schedule)
Multiple programs
For multiple programs, how many times will the program be offered within the calendar year?
times
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Please enter below the names and specialty/health profession of your Planning Committee
Target Audience
Who comprises the target audience for this activity? Indicate specific specialties, and if applicable, other allied health professionals for whom the activity is intended. Each member of the target audience must be represented on the Planning Committee.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Program Description (Provide a brief 1-2 paragraph description of the proposed program)
How were the perceived learning needs of the target audience identified? Identify both subjective data
(e.g. personal requests, observations, questionnaires/surveys, focus groups, evaluation forms) and objective data (e.g. practice information, literature surveys, clinical practice guidelines and experience).
How were the unperceived learning needs of the target audience identified? Unperceived needs are educational needs that participants are unaware that they need to address. (Assessment of physician performance from hospitals, provincial or national databases, self-assessment programs, chart reviews,
360 degree assessments, case scenarios, practice audits and/or quality improvement activities)
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Please list the learning objectives for the overall learning activity?
1)
2)
3)
4)
2)
3)
4)
Please list the learning objectives for individual sessions during this learning activity? (If applicable)
1)
How were the identified needs of the target audience utilized in the creation/development of the learning objectives?
Do the Learning Objectives express what the participants will be able achieve by participating in the events?
How are the learning objectives linked to the evaluation strategies for the learning activity? For example, does the evaluation form list the learning objectives or pose questions to the participants about whether the learning objectives were met?
What educational format will be used for the presentation (For example: symposium, workshop, roleplaying, debate, discussion group, use of A/V such as interactive pads, etc?)
Does the activity design formally incorporate opportunities for interactive learning using planned discussion periods or small group interactive sessions?
Yes No
Does the course design formally include opportunities for participants to receive feedback on their learning using a written test, touch pad system, or other tests of skills acquired?
Yes No
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Should you wish to create your own evaluation form, please ensure that the following questions are incorporated:
Thinking about the session you just completed, please indicate to what degree you agree with each statement using this rating scale: ( 1 -Strongly Disagree; 2 -Disagree; 3 - Agree; 4 -Strongly Agree)
1. The program met my educational expectations
2. I was provided adequate time interaction. (minimum 25% of session)
3. I did not perceive any sources of commercial bias during the program
4. If you perceived any sources of commercial bias in the program, please explain:
5. From what you learned, what will you be able to apply to your practice?
6. What future topics would support you in your practice?
Are individual presenters provided with the results of the evaluations?
Yes No
Does the evaluation strategy intend to measure improved participant performance?
Yes No
If yes, please describe below the tools or strategies used.
Does the evaluation strategy intend to measure improved health care outcomes?
Yes No
If yes, please describe below the tools or strategies used.
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CCS Accreditation: MOC Section 1 Educational Activities:
Policies, Procedures and Application Form
Please use the checklist below to ensure you complete and submit all the necessary documentation. The submission of an incomplete accreditation application may lead to delays in the accreditation process.

Cheque for the full amount of the accreditation fee, payable to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Needs assessment documentation (If available, please attach summaries of surveys, group meetings, interviews etc. If an audit or test instrument was used, please attach a copy as well as a summary of the results.)

Planning Committee minutes

Event schedule/program (A full program must be provided including presentation titles, presenter's names and times indicating discussion periods.)

Evaluation form/tool ( A sample evaluation form is located on the CCS website: Forms for
Accreditation )

Complete program budget (A budget form is located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )

Conflict of Interest for Planning Committee and Faculty/Speakers ( The Conflict of Interest form is located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )

Letter to sponsor(s) stating that funds provided are in the form of an educational grant.

Copy of the Certificate of Attendance

Cheque for the full amount of the accreditation fee, payable to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Needs assessment documentation (If available, please attach summaries of surveys, group meetings, interviews etc. If an audit or test instrument was used, please attach a copy as well as a summary of the results.)

Planning Committee minutes

Event schedule/program (A full program must be provided including presentation titles, presenter's names and times indicating discussion periods.)

Evaluation Form/Tool ( A sample evaluation form is located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )

Complete program budget (A budget form is located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )

Conflict of Interest for Planning Committee and Faculty/Speakers ( The Conflict of Interest form is located on the CCS website: Forms for Accreditation )

Completed Faculty Honorarium Forms (An Honoraria form is located on the CCS website: Forms for
Accreditation )

Completed Honoraria Disbursement Form (An Honoriar Disbursement form is located on the CCS website:
Forms for Accreditation )

Copies of all promotional brochures/mail outs

Copies of all on-site materials/handouts

Registration list including, name, email, specialty for all attendees

Summary of evaluation from attendees (provided to the CCS one month after the event)
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