DoH Category 2 credit hours are defined as all educational activities not designated for Category 1 that: comply with DoH definition of CE; comply with the DoH, ACCME & AMA ethical opinions on Gifts to Physicians from Industry and on Ethical Issues in CE (i.e. not promotional); and a health professional finds to be a worthwhile learning experience related to his/her practice.

Activities within Category 2 are essentially of a self-learning nature, and should be beneficial to the practice. Many of the activities that fall within Category 2 may be less structured from the viewpoint of learning than those in Category 1. Activities in Category 2 would (in general) entitle the participant to claim 1 credit hour for every hour of participation. Category 2 educational activities are “health professional designated.” The health professionals must determine that the educational activity meets the DoH’s definition of CME*. In general, to meet the definition, the physician must consider the educational activity as directly related to his/her practice. Health professionals will be strongly encouraged to extend their learning experience by completing activities in a broad range of activity types and in a variety of topic areas.

Credit Assignment:

As with live activities, health professionals may self-claim a Category 2 credit hour for each 60-minute hour engaged in the learning activity. Health professionals may claim credit hours in 15 minute, or 0.25 credit increments, and round to the nearest quarter hour.

In determining the number of Category 2 credit hours to be reported, health professionals can use patient charts and personal notations as helpful reminders. For instance, a health profession could recall that in the course of a week, he/she has learned from six consultations with experts, averaging 10 minutes each, for a total of about 1 hour. Another example could be that a health professional estimates that in the course of a month, he/she has learned from four discussions with colleagues, averaging 15 minutes each, for a total of about 1 hour.

Documentation of Category 2 Credit Hours:

As Category 2 credit hours are self-documented, health professionals should claim credit hours and list them in their DoH log sheets. Formal or official documentation of Category 2 education is not always possible; however, the health professional’s needs to provide evidence of all learning forms, consultation proof with peers and medical experts, library use, and other acceptable Category 2 activities.

Category 2 Activities Include:

Any CE activity not approved for Category 1 credit hours can be claimed as Category 2 credit hours if the health professional believes it to be pertinent to his/her practice. Examples of these include: