Prior-Approval Guidelines and Form Instructions

Prior-approved activities are individual educational activities for which program providers have opted to request continuing professional education (CPE) hour approval on behalf of RD/DTRs prior to the date of the activity.

To receive prior-approval of a CPE activity from CDR, complete the following:

• Complete the Continuing Education Prior Approval Request Form which is also available in PDF format. (Click here for more information on PDF documents.) Use one prior-approval form for each program. Submit the documentation for review to the Commission on Dietetic Registration or affiliate dietetic association at least 4-6 weeks prior to the activity date. Keep one copy for your files.
  Interested in promoting your CPE activities to our 76,000 Credentialed Dietetics Practitioners? If so, click here.
  



• Some affiliate dietetic associations share the CPE approval responsibility with CDR. Please refer to the Prior Approval Review Contact List to determine where to send your program for review.

The following information is required on the Continuing Education Prior Approval Request Form:

• Title of presentation
• Program date(s)
• Program location (city and state)
• If the program is to be held in multiple locations, please provide a listing that includes each city, state, and date
• Program provider (the group hosting the program)
• Information describing the target audience (target audience can not include the lay public)
• Estimated number of RDs and/or DTRs to be in attendance
• Program chair (the individual who planned the meeting)
• Contact name, telephone number, and address
• Number of CPE hours requested
• CPE Level according to the following definitions:

  Level I: Assumes that the participant has little or no prior knowledge of the area(s) covered. The focus of the activity is to increase the core knowledge of the participant.

  Level II: Assumes that the participant has general knowledge of the literature and professional practice within the area(s) covered. The focus of the activity is to enhance knowledge and application of the participant.

  Level III: Assumes that the participant has thorough knowledge of the literature and professional practice within the area(s) covered. The focus of the activity is synthesis of recent advances and future directions.

The following must be provided with the completed Continuing Education Prior Approval Request Form:

1. Outcome-oriented educational objectives for each content area.



2. Timing outline to include a detailed breakdown of the time schedule for the entire program, indicating the starting and ending times for all educational sessions, registration, meals, breaks, or discussion periods.



3. Information describing the target audience (target audience can not include the lay public).



4. Name(s) of speaker(s) and qualifications on topic(s) to be presented.



5. CPE Category for each session in the program timing outline.

Following program review, CDR or the State CPE Review Chair/Committee will send verification of approval. Program providers must provide each participant with a certificate of completion verifying completion of the program. Providers must also maintain a list of participants who completed their program for at least seven years.

Click here for the prior approval form which is available in PDF format (38KB). (Click here for more information on PDF documents.)