Medical Education Metrics Vocabularies

Medical Education Metrics (MEMS) 2.0 provides a standard XML format for CE outcomes data, and incorporates some of the data requirements for prescriber education within the 2012 FDA ER/LA Opioid Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (ER/LA Opioid REMS). Describing the profession of participants (particularly prescriber participants) is a key component of REMS CE evaluation. The FDA is also interested in the specialty of prescriber participants in the CE activity. The vocabularies below are intended to assist in the evaluation of the reach of REMS CE with regard to clinician profession and practice type.

The list of professions presented is a based on the Healthcare LOM version 1.0 recommended values for profession (see vocabulary). The professions listed below are meant to be inclusive of all those eligible to prescribe ER/LA opioids.

Healthcare LOM provides a list of specialties relevant to physician, advanced practice nursing, and physician assistants. Those specialties may not be applicable for other professions. This document provides specialties relevant to dentists.

The list of practice types consists of groupings targeted to the evaluation of ER/LA REMS CE. Definitions of each practice type are provided.

Profession

  • Physician
  • Advanced practice nurse
  • Pharmacist
  • Dentist
  • Optometrist
  • Physician assistant
  • Podiatrist
  • Other 

Practice Type

Primary care A clinician serving as a first contact and providing continuing care to the patient. Primary care clinicians may coordinate specialist care for the patient.
Pain specialist A specialist whose practice predominantly involves the evaluation and treatment of patient pain.
Non-pain specialist A specialist or subspecialist that does not specialize in the evaluation and treatment of patient pain.

Profession-specific specialties

Dentist

(see http://www.ada.org/495.aspx)

  • Dental Public Health
  • Endodontics
  • General Dentistry
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
  • Pediatric Dentistry
  • Periodontics
  • Prosthodontics