Very recently, I was lucky enough, along with my colleague James Hutton (Global Operations Lead, IME) to attend the 16th European CME Forum in the Hague, Netherlands. This meeting brought together over 100 stakeholders passionate about global IME/CME, including CME providers, industry supporters, society groups and representatives of accreditation bodies. The theme of this year’s meetings was “Voices in CME-CPD” and the approach was very collaborative, featuring many workshops and breakouts where we got to explore this theme more closely. ...more

Format and content of medical education programmes has been evolving in recent years. One of the most impactful changes has been in the inclusion of patients as expert faculty. ...more

“Coffee and cake. Where is my coffee and cake” – words spoken by my father-in-law Ray in a repetitive cycle during the final months of his life. He died a week ago in a care home, after a few years of declining health with co-existing illnesses; bowel cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. ...more

Including patient perspectives in CME brings several benefits. For learners, patient insights offer important feedback to healthcare providers (HCPs), making them more aware of patient needs and adding real-life context to educational materials. For patients, this involvement empowers them as experts in their own conditions. Moreover, it improves patient outcomes by tailoring education to their actual needs. These advantages are increasingly acknowledged in CME, and ACCME now has a criterion that recognizes providers who involve patient/public representatives in planning and delivering CME in their menu of criteria for accreditation with commendation. ...more