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Netherlands Moves to Uniform CME Accreditation
Wentz/Miller & Associates Global CME Newsletter
11/20/2004

Representatives of all professional societies in the Netherlands have established a harmonized system of accreditation of CME activities with mutual recognition of credits within the 3 groups of specialties, one for the 28 clinical specialties, one for the specialties in general practice and one for "social medicine" (occupational medicine, insurance medicine and public health). For full implementation ratification is necessary, but already a uniform application form and a uniform assessment procedure will be used. Accreditation will remain the responsibility of the separate professional societies. Establishment of a central national CME authority is not contemplated.

In addition, the 3 Colleges/Registration Committees reached agreement on a common set of requirements for registration and reregistration. Among them will be a requirement for 40 hours of CME yearly on average (5 year period) for all medical specialists in the 3 groups. This agreement has yet to be ratified by the Ministry of Health.

Presently there are legal mandatory requirements for the specialties in general practice (40 hours yearly) and in social medicine (20 hours yearly). For the clinical specialties no legal requirements are operational presently, although the professional societies in these specialties have set requirements. Mandatory implementation awaits a structural solution of the problem of the financing of CME. -- Cees Leibbrandt, MD, WM&A Associate

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