National Disaster Life Support™ Instructions
Important information about the National Disaster Life Support Program (NDLS™) transition to the National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc.
The AMA NDLS Program Office is closed effective June 30, 2012. The National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc. (NDLSF™) assumed responsibility for the NDLS Program and the associated National Disaster Life Support Education Consortium™ (NDLSEC™) on July 1, 2012. Please visit the NDLSF Web site for information about the NDLSEC and the NDLS Program. To locate an NDLS Course near you, NDLS Training Center resources, or NDLSEC resources, please visit the NDLSF Learning Management System (LMS).
National Disaster Life Support Foundation, Inc.
Providing CME through the AMA for NDLS Courses during the transition
Instructions for course directors
The American Medical Association (AMA) has certified the Advanced Disaster Life Support™ (ADLS®) Version 3.0 Course, Basic Disaster Life Support™ (BDLS®) Version 2.6 Course, and Core Disaster Life Support® (CDLS®) Version 3.0 Course for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. If you choose to register your course to provide CME to your participants, they will receive an additional certificate indicating credits earned (for physicians) or hours of participation (for non-physicians). This certificate—unlike the certificate of training alone—documents CME credit that most physicians need to meet their CME requirements for specialty boards, hospital privileging and licensure. Many non-physicians can also use a CME Certificate of Participation toward their professional requirements.
The AMA will continue to provide CME for the NDLS courses during the transition as follows:
| Course | AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ | CME Provided for Course Dates Through | Register Courses for CME Through |
| ADLS v. 3.0 Course | 15.0 | Aug. 28, 2012 | July 28, 2012 |
| BDLS v. 2.6 Course | 7.5 | Aug. 28, 2012 | July 28, 2012 |
| BDLS v. 3.0 Course | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| CDLS v. 3.0 Course | 3.5 | Aug. 28, 2012 | July 28, 2012 |
In order for the AMA to provide CME for your course, you will need to complete the following items:
- Participant data spreadsheet
- Evaluation summary spreadsheet
- Tailored course agenda with required CME language
- Registering your course for CME, with current disclosures for instructors 30 days in advance of the course date
- A copy of disclosure forms for each faculty member in advance for the BDLS and ADLS courses (only needs to be submitted once if faculty present multiple times)
- Hours of participation claimed by participants wanting a certificate of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or participation listed on participant data spreadsheet
- Budget form
The AMA will invoice your organization $10 per certificate following processing of the CME certificates only for approved courses.
If you complete the instructions below, you will successfully meet all of the requirements for providing an NDLS course, as well as AMA CME requirements.
Please read the complete instructions below:
1. Register your course with the AMA for CME and Certificate of Participation approval and submit it for inclusion on the NDLSF LMS calendar
You must register your course via the link below, and include all required information. CME will be provided during the transition as follows: ADLS v. 3.0, BDLS v 2.6 and CDLS v. 3.0 Course dates through Aug. 28, 2012. This should be done at least one month in advance of the course date. We will need to have a copy of all disclosure forms (dated within the last 12 months) for faculty on file if you are registering the BDLS or ADLS courses.
Once you submit your course information, you will either receive an e-mail indicating that we need additional disclosure forms, or you will receive an approval to proceed with your activity for CME through AMA. Unless you receive an approval e-mail, we will not award CME to participants.
To register your course on the NDLSF LMS Course Calendar, please visit the NDLSF LMS website.
2. Confirm disclosures for BDLS and ADLS courses
We can only approve your course for credit if we have an up-to-date (within the past 12 months) disclosure form on file indicating any relevant financial relationships for each faculty member. This is not required for the CDLS course v.3.0. If you have not previously submitted a disclosure form for your faculty members, please use the form below (in Word), which can be completed electronically and e-mailed. If you have questions about whether a disclosure is on file, or to submit a completed disclosure form, e-mail NDLS@ama-assn.org.
3. CME information for participants
You must provide a "CME Course Agenda" to your participants and must contain the following:
- Location and date of activity - ADLS v. 3.0, BDLS v 2.6 and CDLS v. 3.0 Course dates through Aug. 28, 2012.
- Program objectives
- Faculty members with printed disclosure statements (if a faculty member has a financial relationship to disclose, you must include the company and type of relationship)
- Accreditation and designation statement (the correct language is presented below and must be included verbatim)
A template is provided below (in Word) that includes all of the necessary components for a CME Course Agenda. You will need to provide a copy of this agenda, with the specific course information, to your participants. Please return the BDLS and ADLS course agendas to the AMA following the course. The CDLS course agenda does not need to be returned to the AMA after the course; include your site-specific information on the CDLS spreadsheet under the tab "Agenda."
4. Participation data
Submit a participant data spreadsheet, which includes required information for all individuals who actually participated, including pre-test (ADLS and CDLS) and post-test scores.
Indicate the hours of participation claimed by the participants requesting CME, as well as their date of birth. Participants should claim the actual number of hours they participated in the activity—this additional information can be captured by asking participants to complete the CME Request Form, or having them sign out on a registration sheet if they leave early.
- ADLS participation spreadsheet with CME hours
- ADLS CME request form for participants
- CDLS participation spreadsheet with CME hours
- CDLS CME request form for participants
ADLS v. 3.0
The The spreadsheet for the ADLS v. 3.0 course has been adjusted so that all the forms that need to be returned to the AMA are located on one Excel document. Click on the the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet to access the course information, participant information, Day 1 and Day 2 agendas, evaluation summary and budget form (for CME courses).
CDLS
The spreadsheet for the CDLS v. 3.0 course has been adjusted so that all the forms that need to be returned to the AMA are located on one Excel document. Click on the the worksheet tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet to access the course information, participant information, agenda, evaluation summary and budget form (for CME courses). Please send your feedback about the new forms to: NDLS@ama-assn.org
5. Evaluation
Upon completion of the course, please have students fill out evaluation forms:
Submit an evaluation summary in the electronic template provided, based on the returned evaluations of your participants. The ADLS and CDLS evaluation summaries and summarizer worksheets are included with the above ADLS and CDLS participation spreadsheets.
6. Budget form
Extraordinary sources of revenue and honoraria for each NDLS activity must be reported to the AMA in order to be certified for CME.
If you registered your course for CME approval, please submit the provided budget form no more than two weeks after the course. This budget form is not asking you to disclose institutional operating revenue or expenses. Rather, you are asked to report if your organization received any of the following specifically for the NDLS activity you have submitted for approval:
- Commercial support from industry (e.g., pharmaceutical, biotech or device companies)
- Other grant funding (e.g., government grants)
- Advertising or exhibit revenue
In addition, host sites are asked to list (if applicable) outside faculty who received honoraria, and the amount of honoraria they were provided.
7. Promotional materials
Any promotional materials for NDLS activities which have been certified for CME credit must include the accreditation and designation statement verbatim (presented below):
The American Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The American Medical Association designates this live educational activity for a maximum of [number of credits*] AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Templates are available for all CME-approved courses:
Courses may not use the CME templates (or include the accreditation and designation statements) until receipt of CME approval is received from the AMA CME department.
*CDLS 3.5 credits, BDLS 7.5 credits, or ADLS 15.5 credits
Please note that the CDLS course agenda template includes all of the information for the program announcement
Returning information to the AMA
You must return to the AMA the following materials within two weeks of the course. For courses occuring on Aug. 28, 2012, the deadline for returning materials is Sept. 11, 2012. Any course materials received by the AMA after Sept. 11, 2012 will be returned to the NDLSF for processing.
- A copy of the CME Agenda
- Participation spreadsheet with CME credits claimed and post-test scores
- Evaluation summary
- Budget Form
- Promotional materials
Course Reporting Information for NDLS courses approved for CME should be submitted electronically to ndls@ama-assn.org for ADLS v. 3.0, BDLS v. 2.6 and CDLS v. 3.0 Course dates through Aug. 28, 2012.
To order student of instructor manuals for the NDLS Program, please use the NDLS Program Order Form.
Please send questions and comments to ndls@ama-assn.org.
