64B2-13.004. Continuing Education

(1) Required Hours. For the purpose of renewing a license, a licensed Chiropractic Physician must demonstrate to the Board that he or she completed at least forty (40) contact classroom hours during the past two (2) years. Only those contact classroom hours earned at Board approved continuing education courses or which comply with the provisions of this rule are acceptable. For purpose of this rule, the term “contact classroom hour” shall mean fifty (50) minutes of instruction offered through in-person courses or through online attendance continuing education courses complying with subsection (3).

(2) Required Areas.

(a) Risk Management. At least three (3) hours shall be in the area of risk management. Two (2) of these three risk management hours shall specifically relate to the laws and rules of the board and the Department of Health. For the purpose of this rule, risk management means the identification, investigation, analysis, and evaluation of risks and the selection of the most advantageous method of correcting, reducing or eliminating identifiable risks. The laws and rules of the Board and the regulatory agency under which the Board operates include Chapters 456 and 460, F.S., and rule Title 64B2, F.A.C.

(b) Record Keeping/Documentation, Coding, and Ethics and Boundaries. Six (6) hours of the forty (40) shall be in the area of record keeping/documentation and coding; and two (2) hours of the forty (40) must be in the area of ethics and boundaries.

(3) Online Attendance Continuing Education.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this rule, the following definitions shall apply.

“Online attendance continuing education course” means a learning course presented through live, synchronous technology or through prerecorded video coupled with a means for course attendees to ask questions of the instructor(s) and receive responses in a timely manner. Such courses may be presented through video conferencing technologies or interactive computer based applications.

(b) Online Hours Allowed. A licensee may elect to obtain all continuing education hours through online attendance continuing education courses.

(c) No continuing education course may be repeated for credit within the same biennium.

(4) Licensees Certified in Acupuncture. Each licensee certified in acupuncture by the Board shall obtain four (4) hours of Board approved acupuncture continuing education. Two (2) hours shall be in the area of safety and risk management and two (2) hours shall be in the area of technique. These four (4) hours shall be obtained as part of the forty (40) hours required in each licensure biennium and may be obtained through online courses. Licensees certified in acupuncture must complete the hours required in subsection 64B2-13.004(2), F.A.C.

(5) Approval of Continuing Education Courses.

(a) Provider approval fees. Continuing education providers, including providers of continuing education in AIDS and risk management, seeking initial approval of continuing education courses by the Board shall pay a fee of $250.00. Continuing education providers seeking renewal of previously approved courses with no change in course content or instructor shall also pay a $250.00 fee each biennium. The initial fee and renewal fee shall be assessed per provider and not per course.

(b) Duration of approval. All continuing education courses are approved for credit for a period of two (2) years from the date first approved.

(c) Requirements for approval of all courses. To receive Board approval, all continuing education courses:

1. Shall be submitted for the Board’s approval at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of the scheduled presentation;

2. Must be offered for the purpose of keeping the licensee apprised of advancements and new developments in at least one of the following areas, provided that the continuing education is within the scope of chiropractic practice as defined in Chapter 460, F.S.:

a. General or spinal anatomy,

b. Physiology,

c. General or neuro-muscular diagnosis,

d. Imaging technique or interpretation,

e. Chemistry,

f. Pathology,

g. Microbiology,

h. Public health,

i. Principles or practice of chiropractic,

j. Risk management,

k. Laboratory diagnosis,

l. Nutrition,

m. Physiotherapy,

n. Phlebotomy,

o. Acupuncture,

p. AIDS,

q. Law relating to the practice of chiropractic, the Board of Chiropractic Medicine and the regulatory agency under which the Board operates,

r. Practice management and cost containment.  Practice management is defined as the development or mechanics of establishing and managing an office, including enhancement of patient care, insurance issues, and working with managed care programs. It does not include methods of increasing business profits, marketing of chiropractic services, investments, or financial management.

3. Shall submit to the Board at least the following:

a. A detailed course outline or syllabus, including such items as method of instruction, testing materials, if any; and,

b. A current curriculum vitae of each speaker or lecturer appearing in the program,

c. The procedure to be used for recording attendance of those attendees seeking to apply for continuing education credit and the procedure for certification by the provider to be submitted to the Board as verification. The course provider must certify each licensee’s attendance and the provider or licensee must submit verification to the Board. A signed declaration statement of course completion from a licensee shall be considered a valid form of recording attendance by the provider. The licensee must retain course completion certificates to document completion of the continuing education acknowledged on the renewal form for a period of not less than four (4) years. Upon request of the Board or Department, the licensee must submit satisfactory documentation of compliance with the requirements set forth herein.

4. Shall be taught by one or more speakers or lecturers with at least one of the following qualifications:

a. A current faculty member of a chiropractic college or school maintaining a standard and reputability approved by the Board, or a current faculty member at a medical or osteopathic college or a university which college or university is accredited by, or has status with, an agency or its successor which is recognized and approved by the United States Office of Education or the Council on Post Secondary Accreditation; or

b. A post-graduate level instructor of a chiropractic college or school maintaining a standard and reputability approved by the Board, or a post-graduate level instructor at a medical or osteopathic college or a university which college or university is accredited by, or has status with, an agency or its successor which is recognized and approved by the United States Office of Education or the Council on Post Secondary Accreditation; or

c. A bachelor’s degree and two (2) years of experience in the subject matter being taught; or

d. An associates’ degree and four (4) years of experience in the subject matter being taught; or

e. A post-graduate degree.

5. Shall ensure the security of payment of registration fees.

6. Shall not present any marketing or promotional material during the delivery of the continuing education.

(6) Additional requirements for approval of online attendance courses. In addition to the requirements of subsection (5), to receive Board approval, all online attendance continuing education courses must meet the following additional requirements.

(a) The continuing education provider must explain the appropriate level of technology required for the licensee to participate in the course.

(b) The continuing education provider must have technical assistance available as appropriate to the course format.

(c) The provider must allow access to the online program to a Board member for auditing purposes.

As an alternative to submission of online courses to the Board for review, providers may submit online courses through the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, Providers of Continuing Education (PACE) Pre-Check Expedited Course Submission process. If this process is used, the course must be submitted to the Board for final approval.

(7) Continuing education course instructors or related entities shall not compensate continuing education providers or related entities by any means in exchange for their services or materials.

(8) Any course that does not go through the proper approval process shall be denied and attendees shall not receive credit for attending these courses.

(9) Acupuncture Certification. Hours completed to satisfy the requirements of Rule 64B2-11.012, F.A.C., shall satisfy the requirements of this rule.

(10) Alternative Means of Earning Continuing Education Credits.

(a) Attendance at Board Meetings. Five (5) hours of continuing chiropractic education in the subject area of risk management may be obtained by attending one full day or eight (8) hours of a Board meeting (whichever is shorter) at which disciplinary hearings are conducted by the Board of Chiropractic Medicine in compliance with the following:

1. The licensee must sign in on the attendance roster and provide or verify his or her email address before the meeting day begins.

2. The licensee must remain in continuous attendance.

3. The licensee must sign out on the attendence roster at the end of the meeting day or at such other earlier time as affirmatively authorized by the Board. A licensee may receive CE credit in risk management for attending the Board meeting only if he or she is attending on that date solely for that purpose; he or she may not receive such credit if appearing at the Board meeting for another purpose.

4. The licensee shall receive a certificate or attendance from the Executive Director of the Board or designee within thirty (30) days following the adjournment or the meeting; and is responsible for uploading the certificate of attendance into the Florida Department of Health’s designated continuing education tracking system.

(b) Expert Witnesses. In addition to the continuing chiropractic education credits authorized above, any volunteer expert witness who is providing expert witness opinions for cases being reviewed pursuant to Chapter 460, F.S., shall receive five (5) hours of credit in the area of risk management for each case reviewed up to a maximum of ten (10) hours per biennium. In this regard, volunteer expert witnesses are encouraged to perform a literature survey in conjunction with a review of cases for the Board.

(c) Course Instructors; Speakers; Panelists. In addition to the continuing chiropractic education credits authorized above, a course instructor or speaker, for one presentation only per biennium, will receive ten (10) hours of credit for a continuing education program offered by a Board approved provider. A panelist at a conference of healthcare professionals at a Board approved conference, shall receive five (5) hours of risk management continuing education credit per biennium.

(d) Department Test Examiners and Consultants. In addition to the continuing chiropractic education credits authorized above, test examiners who have passed their trainee period and were used by the Department of Health during the biennium and test consultants who assist the Department in writing and reviewing the questions for the laws and rules examination will receive two (2) hours of laws and rules continuing education credit for the biennium.

(e) Service on Probable Cause Panels. In addition to the continuing chiropractic education credits authorized above, former Board members will receive thirteen (13) hours of continuing education credit for the required hours in laws and rules, risk management, prevention of medical errors, boundaries and ethics, and record-keeping and documentation per biennium for service on a Probable Cause Panel.

(f) NBCE Test Examiners or Graders. In addition to the continuing chiropractic education credits authorized above, any Florida licensee who participates as an examiner/grader for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) shall receive up to nineteen (19) hours of general continuing chiropractic education for each examination administration in which he/she participates.

(g) Board Members. Board members shall receive thirteen (13) hours of continuing education for the required hours in laws and rules, risk management, prevention of medical errors, boundaries and ethics, and record-keeping and documentation credit for each full or partial biennium served on the Board.

Rulemaking Authority 456.013, 456.025(7), 460.408(3) FS. Law Implemented 456.013(6), (8), (9), 456.025(7), 456.036(10), 460.408, 460.4165(13)(b) FS. History–New 1-10-80, Amended 11-25-80, 1-13-82, Formerly 21D-13.04, Amended 6-22-86, 7-5-87, 1-25-88, 10-17-90, 10-15-92, Formerly 21D-13.004, Amended 10-26-93, Formerly 61F2-13.004, Amended 3-16-95, 7-18-95, 6-11-96, Formerly 59N-13.004, Amended 6-24-98, 8-4-99, 7-11-02, 11-30-03, 4-17-05, 11-14-06, 11-13-07, 7-1-09, 5-17-10, 8-22-11, 10-21-12, 7-10-13, 7-8-15, 11-15-16, 5-30-17, 1-22-18, 8-5-18, 9-5-19, 7-22-21, 11-17-21, 5-3-23, 9-17-23.