U.S. AND VIETNAM PARTNER TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION

American partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Health (MOH) are collaborating to build a national accreditation system that certifies the quality of continuing medical education (CME) for medical professionals. In 2009, Vietnam passed the Law of Examination and Treatment in Vietnam, which requires all medical professionals to have 48 hours of CME every two years to maintain their professional license.

Continuing medical education is very important because it helps doctors keep their skills up to date. "CME is an essential part of the national strategy to improve the capacity of health care workers in Vietnam. It is also one of the key factors in ensuring the quality and uniformity of human resources, which translates to equity and quality in health care services. However, CME accreditation is something that Vietnam has never done before. At this workshop, we are very honored to have the opportunity to learn from the President of the U.S. Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Professor Murray Kopelow, and other American colleagues about CME accreditation so we can soon begin implementing this important work in Vietnam," said Professor Nguyen Cong Khan, Director of the Administration of Science Technology and Training (ASTT), Vietnam MOH.

Over forty staff from the MOH, hospitals, and universities will attend the two-day workshop in Hanoi on March 26 and 27, which is organized by the ASTT, Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) and supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) and ACCME.

"All health care professionals need access to high quality CME in order to remain up-to-date in their field. In recent years, the Vietnam MOH has made important strides toward establishing a national CME system and HAIVN is proud to support ASTT in their efforts to set up a system of CME accreditation," said Dr. Todd Pollack, HAIVN Country Director.

HAIVN is a partner of U.S. CDC, supported by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, and has been working with the Vietnam MOH to improve medical education of university students and practicing physicians since 2004.