A Proposed Framework for Accreditation of Online Continuing Medical Education

Continuing medical education tends to be considered compulsory in most countries although it is described by the Union of Euro pean Medical Specialists as an ethical duty. Accreditation of CME and allocation of credits is not yet mandatory in the EU but it is important for providers of educational activities to meet certain quality criteria so as to be prepared for future requirements. Many software platforms and learning management systems (LMS) can be used to support Web-based courses for online CME. Certain standards like SCORM, define the set of specifications that enables cross-system workflows. Updates and extensions of SCORM specifications enable further enhancements. The current research proposes a framework for the accreditation of online CME courses through the enhancement of the SCORM model and the use of metadata, using a SCORM-compliant open source LMS platform, namely, moodle. The model assumes the definition of learning objects and learning outcomes for a specific target audience of the course and the design of an instructional module incorporating several types of learning material.