MiCME - RSS Coordinator Training Manual

November 2024

Introduction

This training manual guides RSS Coordinators through the RSS Dashboard, step-by-step RSS management, and other useful information.

Table of Contents

Glossary

Important Information

Tips and Best Practices

Get to Know the RSS Dashboard

Child Status

Details

Topic

QR

Faculty

Presentations & COI Status

Target Audience

Owners/Coordinators

Comments

Approval

Step-by-Step RSS Management

Step 1. Complete the 3 by 5 requirements at least 5 business days before the start of the activity.

Step 2. Monitor the RSS Dashboard for a change to the child activity’s status.

Step 3. Generate a flyer for the child activity.

Step 4. Encourage participants to claim credit during or immediately after the child activity.

Perform Common Tasks

Access the RSS Dashboard

Find and Manage an Existing Child RSS Activity

Create a New RSS Child Activity

Manage Faculty (i.e., Speakers)

Manage Presentations

Assist Learners with Credit Claiming

Support and Additional Resources

Glossary

This section introduces commonly used terms in the MiCME.

Activity: A session or event

Activity Coordinator: An individual with the ability to edit child activities, assign speakers, etc.; Also know as an RSS Coordinator

Activity Owner: An individual who owns a parent RSS activity’s application; Unlike an Activity Coordinator, an Activity Owner who is not also an Activity Coordinator cannot edit child activities, assign speakers, etc.

Administration: The portion of the MiCME website that allows Coordinators to manage activities

Administrator: An OCME&LL or HITS MiCME user with the ability to manage activities via the Administration section

Attendee Portal: The portion of the MiCME website that learners can see and that Coordinators can use to access Help documentation, search for public activities, etc.; Also referred to as the “frontend”

Child activity: In the context of an RSS, a single session or event (e.g., a lecture or presentation)

CloudCME: The software that powers MiCME, the University of Michigan’s continuing medical education (CME) management platform

Faculty: A speaker or presenter

Learner: An attendee or participant

MiCME / MiCME powered by CloudCME: The University of Michigan’s CME management platform

OCME&LL: The Office of Continuing Medical Education and Lifelong Learning

Parent activity: In the context of an RSS, the RSS series as a whole; A parent activity consists of one or more child activities

RSS Coordinator: An individual with the ability to edit child activities, assign speakers, etc.; Also know as an Activity Coordinator

RSS Dashboard: MiCME page that RSS Coordinators use to view and manage child RSS activities; email Planners, Faculty, and Owners/Coordinators; generate flyers; view reports; etc.

SSO: Single-sign on; The ability to sign into CloudCME using a University of Michigan level-1 username and password

Important Information

• Parent RSS activities are only approved for a single calendar year. All approved Parent RSS activities are approved through December 31 of the activity year. No child activities should be added after December 31.
  
• All parent RSS activities must be renewed each fall. The OCME&LL office sends reminders about this process each fall.
  
• Prepare early. The RSS application and approval process takes time. Work with educational planners to finalize and submit topics/titles and speaker names as early as possible, encourage speakers to submit their annual disclosure forms well in advance, etc. to help ensure your activity can be reviewed in time.
  
• Meet the 3 by 5 requirement. To ensure a child activity is approved in time, complete the following 3 requirements at least 5 business days before each child activity:
  

1. View the child activity’s details to confirm that the child activity’s name reflects the topic(s) to be discussed and does not include the series name or any other extraneous information.
   
2. Assign speakers (known as “faculty” in MiCME and throughout this document) to the child activity. (If the child activity does not have a speaker, add the responsible faculty member who helps select or review the patients for the clinical case series.)
   
3. Ensure all faculty have disclosures on file.

IMPORTANT: To ensure timely review of each child activity, remember to complete this requirement at least 5 business days before each child activity.

• Emphasize the importance of disclosures. Remind speakers and planners that CME credit can only be offered with a completed disclosure.
  
• Learners only have one week to claim credit. Encourage learners to claim credit during or, if necessary, immediately following an activity.
  
• OCME&LL and HITS are here to help. Need help? Visit the MiCME Help page or contact support.

Tips and Best Practices

• When searching for someone in MiCME, start by entering the person’s last name first (i.e., “Last name, First name”).

• Wait until a child activity’s status says APPROVED to generate a flyer for a child activity. Otherwise, the flyer will have incomplete and inaccurate information and the child activity will not be in compliance.
  

To navigate to the Attendee Portal (i.e., the portion of the site learners have access to and that contains the Help documentation) from the Administration section at any time, click on View AP toward the top right-hand corner of the screen.

Get to Know the RSS Dashboard

The RSS Dashboard allows RSS Coordinators to manage child RSS activities.

This section explains each of the RSS Dashboard columns, icons, buttons, and terms.

Child Status

This column indicates where a child activity is in the approval process. A list of the various statuses appears below:

Details

This column provides an overview of the child session’s details including:

Topic

This column lists the name of the child activity and allows RSS Coordinators to:

QR

This column allows RSS Coordinators to view the QR code for an activity.

Faculty

This column allows RSS Coordinators to view, manage, message, and remove faculty (i.e., speakers) assigned to a child activity. This column also displays disclosure information for faculty assigned to a child activity.

Presentations & COI Status

This column displays each assigned individual’s conflict of interest (COI) status and allows RSS Coordinators to upload, download, or remove an individual’s presentation.

IMPORTANT: Presentations do not need to be uploaded to MiCME.

Target Audience

This column displays the parent session’s Specialties and Professions.

To edit this information, click on the pencil icon () in the Topic column on the RSS Dashboard.

Owners/Coordinators

Step-by-Step RSS Management

This section guides RSS Coordinators through the process of managing child RSS activities once the OCME&LL team has created the parent RSS activity in MiCME.

Follow the steps below once the OCME&LL team has notified you that the parent RSS activity is ready in MiCME.

Step 1. Complete the 3 by 5 requirements at least 5 business days before the start of the activity.

To ensure that the OCME&LL team can review the activity in time, complete the following 3 tasks at least 5 business days before the start of the activity:

1. Ensure that the child activity’s name reflects the topic(s) that will be discussed during the activity and does not include the series name or any other extraneous information
2. Assign faculty (i.e., speakers) to the child activity
3. Ensure all faculty (i.e., speakers) have disclosures on file

This section provides instructions on how to complete these 3 key tasks.

IMPORTANT: The OCME&LL team cannot approve your activity until all 3 of these tasks have been completed.

Review the child activity’s name

1. Sign into MiCME as an Administrator.
   
2. Click on Activities > RSS Dashboard along the left-hand side of the screen to access the RSS Dashboard.
   
3. Enter the relevant search criteria in the desired fields to search for a specific session and click Search. (If the child activity does not appear, review your search criteria and confirm that the date range includes the child activity date.)
   
4. Locate the activity in the table of search results on the screen.
   
5. Review the information in the activity’s Topic column.
   
6. Does the language in the Topic column reflect the topic(s) that will be discussed during the child activity and is it free of all extraneous information like the series name?
   

• Yes: Skip to the Assign faculty (i.e., speakers) to the child activity section below.
  
• No: Continue to edit the child activity’s name.

Edit the child activity’s name

1. Click on the child activity’s name or on the pencil icon () below the child activity’s name in the Topic column.
   
2. The RSS Activity Editor window will appear.
   
3. Edit the information in the Name field to ensure the name reflects the topic(s) to be discussed and does not include the date or any other extraneous information.
   
4. Click Save & Close ().

Assign Faculty (i.e., Speakers) to the Child Activity

IMPORTANT:

UM speakers: When adding a UM individual to an activity, use the individual’s umich email address (not med) to avoid creating a duplicate account that can cause disclosure form issues.

Non-UM speakers: Before adding a non-UM individual to an activity, confirm which email address the individual uses or would like to use for MiCME. This extra step will prevent duplicate accounts and avoid disclosure form issues.

Activities without speakers: If your child activity does not have a “speaker,” add the responsible faculty member who helps select or review the patients for the clinical case series.

To assign faculty (i.e., speakers) to the child activity:

1. Click Manage Faculty () In the Faculty column.
   
2. A new window will appear.
   
3. Leave the box next to Request Disclosure? checked for any individuals who do not have an active disclosure on file. (An active disclosure is one that was submitted less than one year before the activity date.)
   
   IMPORTANT: If an individual has an active disclosure on file (i.e., a disclosure that was submitted less than one year before the activity date), uncheck the box to prevent the individual from receiving unnecessary emails.
   
   If the Request Disclosure? box is checked, the system will automatically email the individual to request that they submit a disclosure when you complete step 7 below. (Individuals with an active disclosure form on file will receive an email stating that no additional action is necessary. Please note that Coordinators do not receive a copy of either of these emails.)
   
4. To request that the individual(s) you add submit a presentation, check the Request Presentation? box. (As a reminder, presentations do not need to be uploaded to MiCME.)
   
   If the Request Presentation? box is checked, the system will automatically send the individual(s) an email after you complete step 7 below.
   
   NOTE: Coordinators will not receive a copy of the email.
   
5. Start typing the individual's last name in the empty dropdown to the left of the Add Faculty button. (The system requires that names be entered with last name first.)
   
6. Click on the appropriate individual's name. (If you do not see the individual's name, follow the steps to add a non-UM presenter and then return to step 1 above.)
7. Click Add Faculty ().
   
8. A Faculty member added window will appear confirming that the individual was added as faculty for the activity.
   
9. Click OK.
   
10. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each individual you would like to assign to the child activity.
    
11. Click X in the top right corner of the Manage Faculty window to return to the RSS Dashboard when you are done adding speakers to the activity.

Remove Faculty as Needed

Faculty can be removed directly via the RSS Dashboard as well as via the Manage Faculty window.

To remove faculty from a child activity directly via the RSS Dashboard:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. In the Faculty column, click the red square button () next to the name of the individual you would like to remove from the child activity.
   
3. A window will appear asking if you are sure you want to remove the individual from the event.
   
4. Click OK to remove the individual from the event. Otherwise, click Cancel.
   
5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each individual you want to remove from the child activity.

To remove faculty from a child activity via the Manage Faculty window:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. In the Faculty column, click on Manage Faculty ().
   
3. The Manage Faculty window will appear.
   
4. Click the red circle button () associated with the individual you would like to remove from the child activity.
   
5. A window will appear asking you if you are sure you want to remove the individual from the event.
   
6. Click OK to remove the individual from the event. Otherwise, click Cancel.
   
7. Repeat steps 4 through 7 for each individual you want to remove from the child activity.
   
8. When you are done removing faculty from the child activity, click X in the top right corner of the Manage Faculty window to return to the RSS Dashboard.

Ensure all Faculty (i.e., Speakers) Have Active Disclosures on File and Follow Up If/As Necessary

IMPORTANT: RSS Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that all individuals complete their disclosures.

To ensure each individual assigned to a child activity has an active disclosure on file:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Refer to the information in the Presentations & COI Status column.
   
3. Is there a green circle () or a yellow triangle () next to the individual’s name?

1. A green circle () indicates that the individual has a disclosure on file and has been approved for the activity. Skip to step 6 below.
2. A yellow triangle () indicates that additional action is necessary.
   

4. Move your cursor on top of the yellow triangle to learn what the issue is with this individual’s record. A small rectangle with information about the issue should appear within approximately two seconds.
   
5. Refer to the Faculty column to confirm whether the individual has submitted a disclosure. If the following information appears below an individual’s name, the individual still needs to submit a disclosure:

1. Disclosure submitted: N/A
2. Disclosure: NO DISCLOSURE ON FILE

6. Follow up with the individual to request that the individual complete the disclosure.
   
   If an individual is not responding to requests sent via MiCME, email the individual outside of MiCME (i.e., directly via your preferred email client) and include the following link to the disclosure form:
   
   https://umich.cloud-cme.com/Form.aspx?FormID=42
   
   (This link is also accessible via the MiCME homepage by scrolling down to the middle of the page and clicking on Complete Disclosure.)

7. Repeat step 6 as needed until a green circle () appears next to the individual’s name in the Presentations & COI Status column on the RSS Dashboard.
   
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 as needed for each speaker until all speakers have a green circle() next to their names.
   

Step 2. Monitor the RSS Dashboard for a change to the child activity’s status.

IMPORTANT: Please allow ample time for the OCME&LL team to review a child activity. The team recommends you check the child activity’s status 5 days before the child activity’s start date and again 3 days before the child activity’s start date. If the child activity’s status has not changed to APPROVED 3 days before the activity, submit a ticket.

To check a child activity’s status:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Refer to the information in the Child Status column.
   
3. Which status appears in the Child Status column?
   

1. APPROVED. The child activity has been approved for CME credit. Move onto the Step 3. Generate a flyer for the child activity section.
   
2. INCOMPLETE. The child activity is missing required information. Additional action is necessary on the RSS Coordinator’s part. Common examples of missing information include faculty and/or disclosure forms. The RSS Coordinator must provide the missing information before the OCME&LL team can review the child activity.
   
3. IN REVIEW. If the child activity’s name reflects the topic(s) to be discussed, no additional action is necessary on the RSS Coordinator’s part. The OCME&LL team needs to review faculty relationships.
   
   If the child activity’s name does not reflect the topic(s) to be discussed, edit the child activity’s name so the OCME&LL team can review the child activity.
   
   NOTE: If necessary, the OCME&LL team will perform mitigation to ensure there are no conflicts of interest. The OCME&LL team will email faculty (i.e., speakers) to request additional information if/as needed. All Coordinators and Planners will be included on all correspondence.
   
4. PENDING. If the child activity’s name reflects the topic(s) to be discussed, no additional action is necessary on the RSS Coordinator’s part. The activity is pending the OCME&LL team’s review.
   
   If the child activity’s name does not reflect the topic(s) to be discussed, edit the child activity’s name so the OCME&LL team can review the child activity.
   
5. REJECTED. The child activity has been rejected. This occurs when an individual completed a disclosure and declared a financial relationship that was immitigable. In this scenario, remove the necessary individual(s) from the child activity and assign a new individual to the child activity.
   

Step 3. Generate a flyer for the child activity.

IMPORTANT: RSS Coordinators must wait until the OCME&LL team has approved a child activity to generate a flyer for the activity. Otherwise, the flyer may not include all of the information necessary to qualify for CME credit.

All RSS Coordinators must generate and share a flyer with learners before the start of each child activity. Learners must have access to disclosure information prior to the start of the child activity.

1. In the Topic column of the RSS Dashboard, click on either the child activity’s name or on the file icon () below the child activity’s name.
   
2. A new window will appear allowing you to upload, save, and/or preview the flyer.
   
   Note: If no speakers have been assigned to the child activity, you will see a message that says No faculty have been assigned for this event. Faculty must be assigned before a flyer is generated. To add faculty to your child activity, follow the steps to assign faculty (i.e., speakers) to a child activity and then return to step 1 above.)
   
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the window to preview the flyer. (The flyer will be prepopulated with a variety of information.)
   
4. Click Download Microsoft Word Version to automatically download the file to your computer.
   
5. Click X in the top right corner of the flyer window to return to the RSS Dashboard.
   
6. To add a QR code to the flyer (OPTIONAL):
   

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Refer to the QR column.
   
3. Click Single Scan QR for the child activity.
   
4. Right-click on the QR code.
   
5. Click Copy image.

6. Locate and open the downloaded flyer on your computer using Microsoft Word.
   
7. Click on where the QR code should appear.
   
8. Right-click.
   
9. Click Paste.
   
10. Save your changes.
    

IMPORTANT: If modifying the flyer in any way, do not alter or remove any of the following information:

1. Financial Disclosure Information
2. Accreditation Statement
3. Credit Designation Statement
   

7. Share the flyer as you wish with all learners before the start of the child activity.
   

Step 4. Encourage participants to claim credit during or immediately after the child activity.

Learners can claim credit as early as 30 minutes before the activity and as late as 7 days (10,000 minutes) after the activity.

Encourage learners to claim credit as soon as possible using one of the following methods:

1. SMS text message (Recommended for RSS activities because it is the fastest method.)
   
2. QR code and the CloudCME mobile app (Recommended for courses and activities requiring an evaluation.)
   IMPORTANT: The mobile app is required to claim credit via the QR code.
   
3. MiCME website (Recommended for courses and activities requiring an evaluation)

Perform Common Tasks

This section provides instructions on how to perform common tasks in MiCME powered by CloudCME.

Access the RSS Dashboard

To access the RSS Dashboard:

1. Sign into MiCME as an Administrator.
   
2. Click on Activities > RSS Dashboard along the left-hand side of the screen.

Find and Manage an Existing Child RSS Activity

Find an Existing Child RSS Activity

To find an existing child RSS activity:

1. Access the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Enter the relevant search criteria in the desired fields to search for a specific session and click Search.
   
3. Locate the activity among the results that appear in the table on the screen.
   

View a Child Activity’s Details

To view a child activity’s details:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Refer to the information in the Details column for the child activity’s details.

Edit a Child Activity’s Details

To edit a child activity’s details:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. In the Topic column, click on either the child activity’s name or on the pencil icon () below the child activity’s name.
   
3. A new window called the RSS Activity Editor will appear allowing you to add, edit, or remove any or all of the following information:

• Name (This is the child activity’s name. This information will appear on the users’ transcripts.)
• Location
• Date/Time
• Objectives
• Allow Texting Minutes Prior (Do not edit this information. Otherwise, credit claiming may not work.)
• Allow Texting Minutes After (Do not edit this information. Otherwise, credit claiming may not work.)
• Supporting Documentation (This documentation is not visible to the public and is only intended for internal purposes.)
• Specialities
• Professions
• Uploaded Files
  

4. Edit the necessary information.
5. Click Save & Close ().

Change a Child Activity’s Date(s)

To change a child activity’s date(s):

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
2. In the Topic column, click on the Calendar icon ().
   
3. A new window will open that displays a calendar with each occurrence of the child activity.
   
4. Click on the child activity’s calendar event and drag it to the desired date.

Deactivate a Child Activity

To deactivate a child activity:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. In the Topic column, click on the red trash can icon () below the child activity’s name.
   
3. A confirmation window will appear.

4. Click OK.
   

Create a New RSS Child Activity

If the new RSS child activity is for the same duration as the approved parent activity and the activity does not require an evaluation, follow the steps to Add a Child Activity to an RSS.

Otherwise, submit a ticket online.

Manage Faculty (i.e., Speakers)

Add Faculty to a Child Activity

IMPORTANT: If your child activity does not have a speaker, add the responsible faculty member who helps select or review the patients for the clinical case series.

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Click Manage Faculty () In the Faculty column.
   
3. A new window will appear.
   
4. To ensure that the individual(s) you add receive an email requesting that they complete their disclosure, leave the box next to Request Disclosure? checked. Otherwise, uncheck the box.
   
   If the box is checked, the system will automatically send the individual(s) an email after you complete step 7 below. If an individual already has a disclosure on file, the email will state that no additional action is necessary.
   
   IMPORTANT: If an individual has a disclosure on file and the disclosure is active / in good standing through the child activity’s end date, uncheck the box to prevent the individual from receiving unnecessary emails.
   
   NOTE: Coordinators will not receive a copy of the email.
   
5. To request that the individual(s) you add submit a presentation, check the Request Presentation? box.
   
   If the box is checked, the system will automatically send the individual(s) an email after you complete step 7 below.
   
   NOTE: Coordinators will not receive a copy of the email.
   
6. Start typing the individual's last name in the empty dropdown to the left of the Add Faculty button. (The system requires that names be entered with last name first.)
   
7. Click on the desired individual's name.
   
   If you do not see the individual's name, follow the steps to add a non-UM presenter and then return to step 1 above.
8. Click Add Faculty ().
   
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each individual you would like to assign to the child activity.
   
10. When you are done adding faculty to the child activity, click the X in the top right corner of the Manage Faculty window to return to the RSS Dashboard.

Membership > Add Member (Add CloudCME account)

Complete required fields - email must be unique

Click Save

Remove Faculty (i.e., Speakers) from a Child Activity

To remove a speaker from a child activity, refer to the Remove Faculty As Needed section above.

Confirm Whether an Individual Has an Active Disclosure on File

To ensure an individual assigned to a child activity has an active disclosure on file:

1. Find the specific child activity on the RSS Dashboard.
   
2. Refer to the information in the Presentations & COI Status column.
   
3. Is there a green circle () or a yellow triangle () next to the individual’s name?

1. A green circle () indicates that the individual has a disclosure on file and has been approved for the activity. Skip to step 4 below.
2. A yellow triangle () indicates that additional action is necessary.
   

4. To learn what the issue is with this individual’s record, move your cursor to the yellow triangle. A small rectangle with additional information should appear within approximately two seconds.
   
5. To determine whether the individual has submitted a disclosure, refer to the Faculty column. If Disclosure submitted: N/A and Disclosure: NO DISCLOSURE ON FILE appear below the individual’s name, the individual still needs to submit a disclosure.

Manage Presentations

Presentations do not need to be uploaded to MiCME.

Assist Learners with Credit Claiming

Create two separate instructions for claiming credit based on number of days after event?

Learners can claim CME credit via any of the following three methods:

1. SMS text message (Recommended for RSS attendees because this method is the fastest; Not recommended for course attendees because course attendees typically need to complete an evaluation, which can’t be completed via text message.)
2. MiCME website
3. CloudCME mobile application

IMPORTANT: 

• Regardless of the chosen method, learners must claim credit up to one week after the end of a child activity.
  
• To claim credit via QR code, learners must have the CloudCME mobile application installed on their mobile device. Otherwise, learners will only see a blank page in their browser and will not be able to claim credit.
  
• The OCME&LL team recommends that RSS learners claim credit via text message as that method is the fastest.
  
• Course learners (i.e., learners attending something other than an RSS) should claim credit via either the MiCME website or the CloudCME mobile application because many courses require an evaluation, which cannot be completed via text message.

Support and Additional Resources

Need additional assistance? Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) offers three convenient ways to get the help you need:

1. Review the MiCME Help page.
   
2. Submit a ticket online.
   
3. Call the HITS Service Desk at (734) 936-8000. The HITS Service Desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.