b'Continued CompetencyNational EMS Continued 80% Competency Agenda for the 124,958 Future providers recertified in 2020. In total, 80% of our electronicallyThe National Registrys Continued Competency Initiative submitted recertification applicationscontinues to progress.An Agenda Steering Committee, are approved by automated algorithms. consisting of representatives of more than 20 EMSorganizations, is meeting monthly to develop a National EMS Continued Competency and Continuing Education Agendafor the Future: a Systems Approach. The Agenda will be the driving force for transforming the EMS industrys approach to continued competency. In support of the steering committee, National Registry staff members continue to lay the foundation Efficiencies in Recertification for innovation through a national communications effort and identifying potential prototypes and pilot projects. Research Applicationsprojects underway include a Modified Delphi study to identify consensus themes from EMS experts on continued competency, In 2020, our certification team revamped a portion of theNational Component of the National Continued Competencycollaborative efforts with the Prehospital Guidelines Consortium recertification automation platform to increased automatedProgram (NCCP) Model selected. The changes with simplificationto explore links between evolving medical evidence and National processing. We have approved approximately 80% of ourallowed the use of only one model, which was the NCCP 2016Registry examinations, and a comparison of maintenance of electronically submitted recertification applications through thisrequirements and education was now assigned to the broad topiccertifications requirements for comparable certifications. automated algorithm this year. This update improved both the(Airway, Cardiology, Medical, Trauma, Operations) rather than consistency of review and the number of applications qualifiedup to 33 individual subtopics within the National Component. Additional task forces on specific topics are planned to identify for this automated processing. Data and research were used toThose recertifying were still required to meet all NCCP 2016needed improvements on potential interfaces with specialty justify key changes while protecting the integrity and accuracymodel requirements, but the way they entered and submittedcertifications, continuing education rules, agency accreditors, of the automated algorithm to ensure quality and consistencyapplications were simplified. Simplifying the application andand National Registry training officer and medical director of applications submitted in meeting our recertificationautomated review algorithms improved the efficiency, consistencyverifications. The initiative is planned to continue through 2023 requirements. This process is regularly monitored through keyand quality of applications reviews.to develop recommendations for the next generation of tools to performance metrics.verify continued competency throughout the practitioners career. 12 The review and adjustment to the automated platform was The Continued Competency initiative is planned to continue though 2023 to develop13necessary to help adjust for changes made in 2019 with the simplification of our recertification model use, endorsing only one model instead of three and the application. Previously,recommendations for the next generation of tools to verify continued competency throughout education was required to be assigned to each subtopic of thethe practitioners career.Mark Terry'