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ASA Joint Providership Program

This service assists ASA State Component Societies, Subspecialty Societies and Anesthesia Group Practices to provide accredited CME programming. The ASA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to offer CME activities and is pleased to consider jointly providing your CME activity.

As your educational partner, the ASA ensures an exemplary framework for you to develop and offer CME programs.

An application must be completed and submitted to the ASA Education staff for all prospective CME activities. If you do not have a SurveyMonkey Apply account, you will need to create one. The ASA Committee on Professional Education Oversight reviews all joint providership applications. Review and approval of any application is contingent upon receipt of the required information. Please see below for a full description of the program and applications.

CME Program Description

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. As required by the ACCME, all activities designated by ASA for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM must comply with the ACCME Accreditation Criteria, Policies, and Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing EducationSM including activities planned and implemented through Joint Providership.

Any activity to be considered for Joint Providership must be aligned with both the mission of the ASA and the definition of continuing medical education (CME) as specified by the ACCME. All applications for Joint Providership will be assessed based on their individual merits. The ASA reserves the right to accept or deny Joint Providership of individual CME activities, at its own discretion. The Joint Provider must agree to follow all policies, procedures, and formats as set forth by the ASA.

Joint Providership for ASA Simulation Education Network Programs

In addition to services for State Component Societies, Subspecialty Societies and Anesthesia Group Practices, ASA also offers Joint Providership services customized to the needs of its ASA-Endorsed Simulation Centers. Through this program, centers can work with ASA to seamlessly provide CME credit to ABA diplomates participating in MOCA Simulation Courses. For more information, and to apply, click here.

Pricing for Joint Provided Activities

Pricing for the Joint Providership program is under review and will increase to match industry standards. Once you have completed your application, ASA staff will contact you regarding pricing.

ASA Responsibilities

  1. Designate activities for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)TM and collaborate with the Joint Provider to ensure that provider meets all ACCME accreditation criteria, policies, and standards.
  2. Provide initial consultation information to:
    1. Inform on the CME planning process and timeline.
    2. Review joint provider's responsibilities.
    3. Outline the ASA's responsibilities.
  3. Provide templates, checklists, and forms for the activity design process and ACCME documentation.
  4. Review and approve Joint Providership Application, including planner disclosures, and provide ongoing consultation, as appropriate.
  5. Review, approve, and sign Letters of Agreement, if applicable (commercial support, monetary, or in-kind).
  6. Review and approve all advance marketing materials for compliance with ACCME criteria PRIOR to dissemination.
  7. Review disclosure grid and provide guidance on acceptable mechanisms to resolve any conflicts of interest (COI).
  8. Review and approve all program materials and/or educational content for ACCME and ASA criteria and policies.
  9. Provide online access to learning management system for participants.
  10. Provide technical support to participants for claiming credit.
  11. Provide an online form for activity evaluation.
  12. Provide comprehensive evaluation reports post-meeting (6 weeks).
  13. Review final documentation for ACCME compliance.
  14. Maintain participant roster and CME activity file documentation for six years.

Nonaccredited Joint Provider Responsibilities

  1. Review all joint providership application materials, required documentation, and deadlines to comply with ASA requirements.
  2. Convene Planning Committee.
    1. Collect information from all planners and others in control of the educational content about ALL financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months.
    2. Identify professional practice gap(s) based on internal or external data sources and provide sources if requested.
    3. Determine learners' needs (e.g., knowledge, competence, performance) that underlie the professional practice gap(s).
    4. Analyze practice gap(s), learners' needs, and determine the desired result(s) of educational intervention (e.g., to change competence, performance, patient outcomes) to formulate educational objectives.
    5. Identify the target audience.
    6. Design educational content and format(s) considering desirable physician attributes and adult learning principles.
    7. Determine if there are any barriers for learners to accept and integrate the desired changes.
    8. Identify any non-educational strategies to reinforce the educational objectives following the activity.
    9. Determine if the activity will benefit from collaboration and cooperation with other ASA initiatives or external stakeholders.
  3. Submit Joint Providership Application.
  4. Participate in an initial information session on the CME planning process with ASA, if necessary.
  5. Secure venue/facility/vendor for activity, if appropriate.
    1. Create a preliminary budget.
  6. Secure commercial support (optional):
    1. Utilize ASA template for letters of agreement (LOAs).
    2. Obtain appropriate signatures on LOAs at least one week before the activity.
    3. Collect monies or in-kind support.
    4. Forward signed LOAs and copies of checks to the ASA at least one week before the activity.
  7. Faculty management:
    1. Confirm faculty.
    2. Work with the ASA to collect ALL financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months from all faculty and others in control of the educational content.
    3. Resolve all conflicts of interest with ineligible companies.
  8. Develop advanced marketing materials.
  9. Develop activity agenda and other onsite program materials.
    1. Learners must receive ALL disclosure information before engaging with the accredited education (e.g., relevant financial relationships, faculty relationships with ineligible companies and products or services discussed, etc.).
    2. Acknowledge commercial support to the audience before the beginning of the activity, if applicable.

NOTE: ASA must approve all promotional materials/agendas PRIOR to printing and/or dissemination.

  1. Review/edit/approve evaluation instrument.
  2. Provide attendance registration list to the ASA using ASA template.

Conduct Education Activity

  1. Send updated activity attendance information to the ASA. 
  2. Submit final budget or reconciliation of commercial support within 40 days of activity.
  3. Submit any materials provided to learners (handouts, abstracts, slide decks, etc.). ASA will keep materials for re-accreditation purposes.
  4. Other information requested to complete the activity file.

For Action steps and timeline:

Joint Providership Process

CME Resources
For more information about the ACCME, ABA, and AMA please visit:

Questions or comments regarding ASA Joint Providership policies and procedures can be directed to [email protected] or by calling (847)825-5586.

 

Date of last update: February 19, 2025