The Lippincott CME Institute, Inc. designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons attests that this educational activity has been recognized for co-sponsored/endorsement for 1.5 Category I CME credits (per issue) of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeon’s Continuing Education Award in Neurosurgery.

An annual total of 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM are available through the 12 annual issues of Contemporary Spine Surgery.

The continuing medical education activity in the Contemporary Spine Surgery newsletter is intended for orthopaedic surgeons and other physicians with an interest in the diagnosis and surgical management of back and spinal disorders.

Contemporary Spine Surgery (CSS) is a monthly, eight-page newsletter that offers participants up to 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM per issue and 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM per year. This newsletter is modeled after two other successful WKH CME newsletters: Contemporary Diagnostic Radiology (CDR) and Contemporary Neurosurgery (CNE), both of which have been published for over 20 years.

Editorial content for this newsletter is re-purposed material from other WKH publications in the spine and orthopaedics areas: Current Opinion in Orthopaedics, Spine and pertinent spine-related articles from CDR and CNE. In previous surveys and evaluation assessment questionnaire responses, orthopaedic surgeons and other physicians with an interest in back and spinal surgery indicated a need for a publication in this area and identified their educational needs.

Orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons interested in the diagnosis and management of back and spine problems have a particular challenge due to the number of controversies and standards of practice for back care. Physicians must be able to properly identify patients who are surgical candidates and then perform surgery with favorable outcomes. This CME publication is designed to provide surgeons with a balanced overview of the latest advances in the field, help them to master the anatomic and pathologic basis of the spinal condition covered, and instruct them on techniques to tackle difficult surgical procedures.

The format of this newsletter, exhaustive reviews on a particular topic, can best assist the physician in this specialty by augmenting and reinforcing the traditional learning tools such as books, journal articles and hands-on practice. Given the success of CDR and CNE in peripheral markets of radiology and neurosurgery, this format has established its educational value over the past 20 years.

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery required recertification every ten years. This is done through "CME, credentialing, and examination." All Board applicants must have 120 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM obtained within the previous three years. Assuming this criterion is met, the Board's Credentials Committee meets to review applicant information and if determined admissible, the applicant than can sit for an examination. In addition to the ABOS recertification process, each state has individual criteria for relicensure (for example, Illinois licensee renewal is required every three years). CSS will provide an inexpensive and convenient resource for obtaining CME credits necessary for recertification and relicensure.

Each issue of CSS covers one particular surgical topic and is followed by a CME quiz. The CME quiz questions-written by the article author-best reflect the salient points in the CSS article. The learning objectives and questions reinforce the material covered in the CME article. Users are able to study and learn at their own pace. Users also are encouraged to save the individual articles in a binder for future use.

Faculty and author affiliations and financial disclosure information are procured and printed prior to each CME article in each issue.

Other LCMEI/WKH/Other staff financial disclosure information is procured and printed prior to each CME article in each issue.

Learning objectives for each CME activity are procured and printed prior to the CME article in each issue.

The Lippincott CME Institute, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Print

The Contemporary Spine Surgery CME Program enables CME subscribers to earn up to 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM per year. The article published in each issue throughout the year is designated course reading. Those who are interested in earning CME credit for individual issues should read each article and then take the exam included in issue. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation assessment survey on the enclosed form, answering at least 70% of the quiz questions correctly. Select the best answer and place a check mark or an X mark in the corresponding space on the enclosed answer form sheet. Do not fill in the answer box completely. Make a photocopy of the completed answer form for your own files and mail the original answer form in the enclosed postage-paid business reply envelope for receipt by LCMEI, Inc. by the expiration date printed in each issue. For more information, call (800) 787-8981.

Online

The Contemporary Spine Surgery Online CME Program enables CME subscribers to earn up to 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM per year. The article published in each issue throughout the year is designated course reading. Those who are interested in earning CME credit for individual issues should read each article and then take the exam included in the online issue. To earn CME credit, a participant must read each designated CME article and complete the online quiz and evaluation assessment survey, answering at least 70% of the quiz questions correctly. A participant must elect the best answer and place a check mark in the corresponding space on the answer screen. Upon completion, the subscriber clicks the "Send" button and submits the exam for grading. Upon achieving a passing score, participants are provided with a certificate .pdf to print out on their own computers.

Eight evaluation assessment questions will be included as part of the CME Quiz. These questions ensure that we determine that each activity's learning objectives have been met, that the activity was of educational value to the target audience and was unbiased, and offer participants a method of feedback.

Each individual CME activity will expire within one year of the activity’s release date.