Continuing Professional Education
Glossary of Frequently Used Terms
Accreditation: Granted to sponsors of continuing
education programs that adhere to a set of criteria of
an accrediting agency serving the continuing
education needs of a profession. Many sponsors are
accredited by several agencies to serve several
professional audiences. This requires the sponsor to
adhere to more than one set of criteria (although
usually quite similar) for the same activity.
The RSPH is accredited by the National Commission
for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) to
offer credits to certified health education specialists.
CDC is accredited by the Accreditation Council for
Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the
International Association of Continuing Education
and Training (IACET) and the American Nurses
Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
(ANCCCA) to offer credits to physicians, health
professionals and nurses, respectively.
CECH (Continuing Education Contact Hour for
CHES): Units of credit offered by providers
accredited by the National Commission for Health
Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC) for contact
hours for certified health education specialists
(CHES). Often, the term CECH and CHES will be
used interchangeably to refer to this type of credit. (60
minutes of instruction = 1 CECH credit hour).
CEU (Continuing Education Unit for health
professionals): Defined as 10 contact hours of
participation in an organized continuing education
experience under responsible sponsorship, capable
direction, and qualified instruction. CEUs, needed by
a variety of health professionals, may be awarded to
any organization that is willing and able to meet each
of the criteria established for its use. Authorization by
IACET (International Association for Continuing
Education and Training) is not required for an
organization to award CEUs; however, authorization
by IACET validates and provides credibility to the
CEU. (60 mins. of instruction = .1 CEU credit hour)
CEU and CE have become generic terms to many –
meaning any form of credit for continuing education;
however, many organizations use the terms to
describe their distinctive credit unit (i.e., IACET
approves providers to offer “CEU”s; other accrediting
agencies may authorize sponsors to offer “CE”s).
CME (Continuing Medical Education for
physicians): Units of credit from the American
Medical Association offered by providers accredited
by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical
Education (ACCME) -- or approved state medical
associations -- for contact hours for physicians (MDs).
Often, other types of credit, such as those from the
American Osteopathic Association are accepted in
place of the CME credit unit. Other professionals,
such as physicians’ assistants, may want CME credits.
(60 minutes of instruction = 1 CME credit hour).
CNE (Continuing Nursing Education for nurses):
Units of credit offered by providers accredited by the
American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission
on Accreditation for contact hours for nurses. Some
accredited nursing providers, such as the Georgia
Nurses Association may use the term “CE” instead of
“CNE”. (50 minutes of instruction = 1 CNE credit
hour).
CPE, Continuing Professional Education: Used
throughout this document to refer to the Rollins
School of Public Health’s overall program and
individual activities in continuing education for public
health professionals. The term CE or continuing
education is often used as a generic term to define the
field and program as well.
CPE (Continuing Professional Education for
dieticians): Units of credit offered by the
Commission on Dietetic Registration, the
credentialing agency for the American Dietetic
Association, for contact hours for dieticians. (60
minutes of instruction = 1 CPE credit hour).
International Association for Continuing
Education and Training (IACET): A non-profit
association of education and training organizations
and individuals devoted to the constructive and
consistent use of the continuing education unit (CEU)
and to the improvement of the quality and
effectiveness of continuing education, training and
human resource development. As the caretaker of the
CEU, the IACET engages in research and
development projects for effective practices. IACET
spearheads the movement for continuous
improvements in continuing education and training
through the recognition of sponsors who are willing to
undergo a peer review of their practices and make a
continuing commitment to adhere to the CEU criteria
and guidelines for quality continuing education and
training.
Mandatory Continuing Education
Requirements: Many health professionals are
required to accumulate a certain number of credit
hours over a specified period of time to meet state
and/or professional requirements. For example,
physicians licensed in Georgia must accumulate 40
hours of continuing medical education every two
years to maintain their state license.
Laura M. Lloyd, MPH, CHES
Director, CPE, RSPH