Appendix B

Glossary of Terms Used In Continuing Medical Education Guide

The terms used in this CME Guide have been developed based upon directives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the terminology developed for the "AOA Accreditation Requirements Category 1 CME Sponsors."  The terms defined below have been developed for the CME activities of the AOA. Some of these terms may have a different meaning outside the context of the AOA's CME activities.

Physician
A physician is a healthcare provider who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all its branches. In the United States, osteopathic physicians (DOs) and allopathic physicians (MDs) are the two recognized types of physicians under this definition. This type of physician is also described as having full practice privileges, and is sometimes referred to as a "complete" physician. Each state will have laws which define the practice privileges of various healthcare providers, and which may permit these providers to use the physician descriptor when referring to their practices.

Staff Physician
A staff physician is a physician who has been given practice privileges at a healthcare facility. Such privileges are granted after review of credentials which include: license to practice; completion of postdoctoral education; attainment of certification.

Needs Assessment
A needs assessment is an analysis of the type of CME that is needed by the intended audience for a CME program which has been proposed or conducted. The results of a needs assessment are used in the design and planning of the content and delivery modality for CME programs.

CME Sponsor
A CME sponsor is an institution, organization or affiliate that is accredited by the AOA Council on CME to present programs that qualify for AOA-CME Category 1 credit.

CME Provider
A CME provider is an organization which is not, itself, a recognized AOA Category 1 CME sponsor, but is authorized to offer AOA approved Category 1 CME under the direction and approval of a recognized AOA Category 1 CME Sponsor.

General Certification
General certification is conferred on diplomates who meet the requirements in a specified field of medical practice under the jurisdiction of a certifying board. General certification represents a distinct and well defined field of osteopathic medical practice. General certification is the initial level of recognition of certification.

Associate Member
The AOA Board of Trustees may grant associate membership to the following individuals: teaching, research, administrative professional staff and employees of osteopathic physician members, colleges and healthcare facilities; or administrative personnel of the AOA or its affiliated organizations.

Associate members pay membership dues of $75 annually, but are not eligible to hold any elective office within the AOA. They are eligible for various membership benefits as defined by the Board of Trustees from time to time.

Presenter
A presenter at an AOA-accredited CME program is an individual who chairs a portion of the program or who delivers a lecture or other formal portion of the program.

Osteopathic Faculty
Programs which are eligible to receive AOA Category 1-A credit must have sufficient content that is osteopathic in nature. Osteopathic content is assumed to be given by the following osteopathic faculty: osteopathic physicians; M.D. physicians on the staff of an AOA-accredited healthcare
facility; or Ph.D. faculty or professional staff at an AOA- accredited college of osteopathic medicine or healthcare facility.

Program Sponsor
A program sponsor is an organization which is recognized by non-AOA accreditor(s) and/or offers CME programs recognized by non-AOA organizations. An example of one such accrediting agency is the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) which accredits CME sponsors, but does not approve individual programs. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) approves individual programs, but does not accredit sponsors.