CPD – requirements for AVA accreditation
Leah Bradbury, Karine Portier, Tanya Duke-Novakovski, Mathieu Raillard, Ian Self, Susanna Taylor
Benefits of Course Accreditation
– AVA accreditation means that the course/training programme meets the standards of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists
– The “AVA-accredited” logo can be used on course advertisement, materials and attendance certificates. Same for the statement “Accredited by the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists”
– The course will be announced on the AVA website and details of all accredited courses will be listed on the website
Conditions to apply
– The course has a scientific and/or educational purpose only. Any commercial sponsorship or conflict of interest by speakers is clearly stated and should have no influence on the course content
– The course should be oriented towards: veterinarians, nurses/technicians, veterinary medicine students or professionals in related fields. The learning outcomes of the course should be clearly defined
– The topic should be focused on anaesthesia, analgesia or peri-operative care and duration should be minimally 2 hours (1 hour for webinars)
– An ECVAA or ACVAA Diplomate should sign off the programme. When the program is specifically aimed at nurses/technicians then a VTS nurse/technician could sign off the program instead of an ECVAA or ACVAA Diplomate. The majority of anaesthesia lectures should be given by a Diplomate in case of courses for veterinarians, or by a VTS nurse/technician (similar diplomas might be considered on a case-by-case basis) for courses for nurses/technicians.
– Online lectures and webinars can be accredited. However, interactive communication should be available and used”
Organizers should provide
– A detailed programme including: topics, presenter profiles, course duration and teaching format e.g. demonstrations, workshop etc. Material, for example PowerPoints, proceedings etc. should be provided on request. Learning aims and outcomes should be clearly defined. All applications and associated documentation will be treated as strictly confidential
– Information regarding lecturers/speakers
– Venue, date and number of participants
– Feedback from at least 80% of participants immediately after each course
Accreditation process and fees
– The application will be evaluated by two members (3rd in case of discrepancies) of the AVA subcommittee for CPD accreditation. Accreditation will be valid for three years unless stated otherwise by the AVA committee or unless there are changes in contents/organization
– Costs for approval: 250€ for the initial accreditation process; 150€ for re-accreditation. If the programme is subject to yearly review, costs for approval are 325€ for the initial accreditation process and 225€ for re-accreditation
– Accreditation is valid for three years and after this time re-accreditation of the CPD will be required