64E-3.009. Standards for Continuing Education Courses

(1) Each continuing education program provider shall have a stated, long-term, coordinated plan for providing continuing education courses based on data related to specific characteristics of the learner population, including the needs of course attendees and methods of assessing these needs. The provider shall also:

(a) Analyze course evaluation data and use the conclusions in program planning, design and continuity;

(b) Implement a tangible plan for maintaining the security of the course post-test questions; controlling and verifying course attendance; and ongoing evaluation of the program content, instructors, learning process and evaluation tools;

(c) Document that the course is current and accurate by references or bibliography; and,

(d) Establish and maintain written policies and procedures consistent with this rule, to implement the continuing education program.

(2) The learning objectives of each continuing education course shall describe expected attendee outcomes in behavioral terms, shall be able to be evaluated, shall be attainable, and shall be relevant to current radiologic technology practice.

(3) The learning experiences and teaching methods must be appropriate to achieve the learning objectives.

(4) The time allotted for each activity must be sufficient for the course attendees to meet the learning objectives.

(5) The principles of adult education must be used in determining teaching strategies and learning activities.

(6) The course attendees must be given an opportunity to evaluate learning experiences, instructional methods, facilities and resources used for the continuing education course.

(7) The content of each continuing education course shall be planned in logical order and reflect input from qualified persons in the subject matter. A target audience for each continuing education course shall be identified. The criteria for successful course completion shall be determined by the program provider and made available to attendees prior to the course. The subject matter for each continuing education course shall reflect the professional educational needs of the technologist to meet the health care needs of the patient, and shall consist of content from one or more of the following:

(a) Radiologic technology practice areas, such as:

1. Digital radiography,

2. Operation of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment,

3. Radiographic positioning,

4. Image processing,

5. Shielding and collimation,

6. Computed tomography (CT),

7. Radiation therapy, including but not limited to, linear accelerators, high-dose rate afterloaders and gamma knife units,

8. Radiographic screens,

9. Bone densitometry,

10. Portable or mobile radiography,

11. Contrast media studies,

12. Implant therapy,

13. Ultrasound,

14. Magnetic resonance imaging,

15. Angiography,

16. Cardiac catheterization,

17. Nuclear medicine, including but not limited to, Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT), and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT),

18. Radiation oncology,

19. Mammography,

20. Radiologic technology education,

21. Chapter 468, Part IV, F.S.,

22. Chapter 64E-3, F.A.C.,

23. Chapter 404, F.S.,

24. Chapter 64E-5, F.A.C.

(b) Biological or physical sciences, such as radiation physics or radiation biology;

(c) Management or administration of radiologic health care personnel, such as radiation protection and safety and dosimetry, or

(d) Personal development subject matter, which must include application of content as it relates to improved patient care. A maximum of 3 continuing education hours in this area can be used for renewal requirements during each renewal cycle. The program may cover any topic which enhances technologist skills and improves patient care. However, awards presentations, introductions of new staff members, tributes to departing staff, employee satisfaction surveys, discussions of facility fiscal status or human resource policies, or similar topics will not be approved for personal development.

(8) Continuing education courses shall be at least 30-minutes in length. A 30-minute course approved by the department will be awarded one-half (.5) contact hour of continuing education credit. An additional one-quarter (.25) contact hour of continuing education credit will be awarded for each additional 15 minutes of course length. Completion of the entire course is required for credit.

(9) If the course offers a “hands-on” component along with a didactic component, and the same amount of time is spent on both components, the continuing education credit awarded shall be the same for both components.

(10) Self-study courses must include a post-test to assess the attendee’s understanding of the course material and mastery of course objectives. The provider must grade the post-test, and a course participant must, within a maximum of 3 attemps, achieve a score of at least 75% on the post-test to successfully complete a course. A minimum of 4 post-test questions is required for a course awarded one-half (.5) hour of continuing education credit. An additional 2 post-test questions are required for each additional one-quarter (.25) hour of continuing education credit.

(11) The provider must designate a person to be a moderator at each live lecture course. The moderator will secure and control the distribution of the mechanisms (sign-in sheets, rosters, etc.) used to verify the identity of each course attendee, so that the mechanisms contain the names of only those persons who fully attended and successfully completed the course.

(12) Continuing education courses that are based on a textbook or electronic book (e-book) must be submitted to and approved by the department on a per-chapter basis, as published in the textbook or e-book, rather than as subsections of a chapter, or as the entire textbook or e-book as one activity. Each textbook or e-book chapter activity must have its own post-test and must be assigned its own unique course number.

(13) A program provider seeking approval of a continuing education course shall:

(a) At least 30 days prior to the date the course begins, make application on Form DH 374 (02/16), “CE Provider Information Sheet,” which is incorporated by reference and available from the department at www.flhealth.gov/radiation, and at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07088. The completed Form DH 374 (02/16) shall identify the format of the course as either live lecture or self-study.

1. If the course is a live lecture, the provider shall submit course objectives and an outline for review to the department.

2. If the course is self-study, the provider shall submit a copy of the self-study course material and post-test for review to the department.

(b) Provide a resume or curriculum vitae for each course instructor which demonstrates that the instructor for the course is qualified through education and experience in the subjects to be presented.

(14) The provider shall furnish each successful course attendee with a written certificate of course completion which shall include the following, all but the last of which must be printed on the certificate and not handwritten:

(a) Date of course completion;

(b) Approved Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control (FLDOH-BRC) provider number and provider name;

(c) Approved FLDOH-BRC course number in the format “FLDOH-BRC XXXXXXXX,” where “XXXXXXXX” is the 8-digit course number assigned by the department;

(d) Course title;

(e) Number of continuing education hours awarded;

(f) Approved category of the continuing education course, which is either “00-Technical” or “05-Personal Development”;

(g) Expiration date of the continuing education course;

(h) Name of course attendee;

(i) “Category A,” if the course is approved by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists for Category A credit;

(j) Course learning objectives, if the course is “hands-on”; and

(k) Signature of the instructor or provider.

(15) Department approval of a continuing education course is effective for up to 3 calendar years from the date approved.

(16) No later than 30 days after each course presentation date, the provider shall submit to the department a copy of the previously-approved Form DH 374 (02/16) that was submitted for the course, and a completed Form DH 406 (02/16), “Continuing Education Roster,” incorporated by reference, a proof of which is available at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07089, PROOF IS NOT TO BE SUBMITTED AS AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT as it is not machine-readable and, therefore, is for reference and viewing only. Blank, machine-readable versions of Form DH 406 must be obtained from the department as follows:

(a) By written request to the Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control, Attention: CE Coordinator, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin #C-21, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1741;

(b) By facsimile transmission to “CE Coordinator” at [phone], or

(c) By pickup from the Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control, Attention: CE Coordinator, 4042 Bald Cypress Way, 2nd Floor – Room 220C, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1741.

(17) The provider must notify the department in writing within 60 days of any changes in information submitted on Form DH 374 (02/16) or Form DH 406 (02/16) or any attachments thereto.

(18) For 3 years after the course presentation date, the provider shall maintain copies of approved Form DH 374 (02/16), the submitted Form DH 406 (02/16), and records of attendance verification.

(19) Within 5 years after the effective date of this rule, the department will consider amendment, modification, or repeal of this rule if a review determines that the rule creates barriers to entry for private business competition, is duplicative, outdated, obsolete, overly burdensome, or imposes excessive costs.

Rulemaking Authority 468.303, 468.309(3) FS. Law Implemented 468.309(3) FS. History–New 4-10-85, Formerly 10D-74.52, Amended 9-17-92, 5-7-96, 12-12-96, Formerly 10D-74.052, Amended 3-4-08, 7-20-16, 4-25-23.