A Guide to Needs and Gaps Assessments & Disclosure Forms

When organizing a continuing education (CE) event, ensuring your program effectively addresses learner needs is critical. At CE-Go, we make this process seamless by helping planners articulate their Needs and Gaps and complete essential forms. In this guide, we’ll walk through what planners and presenters need to know about Needs and Gaps assessments and Disclosure Forms to ensure compliance and educational impact.

Identifying Needs and Gaps in Your CE Activity

Every CE event should address a specific educational gap—the difference between what learners currently know and what they need to know to enhance their professional practice. This is where a Needs and Gaps Assessment comes in.

Key Questions to Consider:

1️⃣ What practice-based problem (or gap) will this educational activity address?
✔ Example: Clinicians struggle to diagnose anxiety disorders.

2️⃣ What is the underlying cause of this gap?
✔ Example: Limited training on recognizing symptoms of anxiety disorders.

3️⃣ What changes will this education help learners accomplish?
✔ Example: Attendees will improve diagnostic accuracy and apply effective treatment strategies.

By identifying these key areas, planners can develop clear learning objectives and create meaningful educational experiences for attendees.

The Importance of Disclosure Forms

To ensure transparency and compliance, disclosure forms must be completed by all planners, presenters, and reviewers involved in your CE activity. These forms document any financial relationships with ineligible companies—organizations that manufacture or sell healthcare products used by patients.

What Must Be Disclosed?

✅ Financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, or diagnostic labs.

✅ Payments received for presentations sponsored by ineligible companies.

✅ Ownership stakes in healthcare-related businesses.

What Doesn’t Need to Be Disclosed?

❌ Payment for presentations from behavioral health treatment centers.

❌ Employment at hospitals or academic institutions.

❌ Research grants from government agencies.

CE-Go simplifies this process by emailing planners and presenters a direct link to complete their disclosure forms online.

How CE-Go Streamlines Your Forms

If you have important forms to complete as part of offering a jointly provided event, your account manager will assist you.

📌 From the Event Planning tab, your account manager can:

✅ Select individuals who need to receive forms.

✅ Assign the appropriate forms for completion.

✅ Track outstanding forms directly from the event planning menu.

📩 Those responsible for completing forms will receive an email notification with a direct link to their outstanding forms. Once submitted, a ✅ green check mark will appear under the Submitted column, confirming completion.

Why It Matters

Accurately completing Needs and Gaps assessments and Disclosure Forms ensures that:

✔ Your CE activity is educationally sound and evidence-based.

✔ Learners gain practical knowledge that improves patient care.

✔ Your event remains compliant with accreditation standards.

With CE-Go, you have a streamlined system to manage these critical components, allowing you to focus on delivering high-quality continuing education.

📢 Ready to plan your next CE event? Fill out a demo request to get started!

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