This document is designed for site administrators who are involved with the activity applications process.  

The EthosCE Activity Application module—also known as the “Course Application”—allows authenticated users to submit activities for review and approval by CME administrators. These administrators can then review the submissions, make edits, and, if appropriate, convert them into full courses or series.

When the Activity Application module is enabled, two new system roles become available:

• CME Manager: Administrators with the CME manager role can edit and update fields in the activity application and modify all user submissions.  

• CME Reviewer: Administrators with this role can only modify the applications assigned to them and convert their assigned applications into courses or series. 

Only authenticated users can submit Activity Applications. Even if the module is enabled on your site, the link to access and submit the application is not automatically visible to users.

This is intentional, as each organization may have different processes and requirements for how applications should be submitted.

You may share the application in two ways:

• Add the link to your site navigation: If you want all logged-in users to access the application directly, you can add the application page to your site's menu.

• Share the link externally: If you'd prefer to limit access, you can send the application URL directly to users via email or other communication channels.

Follow the steps below to find and share the Activity Application page link.

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Watch the video below for a preview of the user experience when completing the Activity Application, including a look at the application fields from the user’s perspective.

For a more in-depth understanding of this feature, you can also take the on-demand Activity Application training course.

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The Manage tab contains key administrative fields used to track and review submitted Activity Applications. This is especially relevant for site and CME administrators responsible for managing application workflows.

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The submission date for an Activity Application is recorded when the user first submits the form.

An application is officially submitted when the user selects "Yes" for the statement "This form is complete and ready for submission" and then clicks the Submit button. This original submission date remains unchanged, even if the application is edited later.

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After submission, users cannot make further changes if the submission value is set to "Yes." However, administrators with edit access can reset the value to "No" to allow users to make additional edits.

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Once an application is submitted, the CME Manager will receive a notification and can then assign a CME Reviewer to evaluate the submission.

To assign a CME Reviewer, follow the steps below or watch the video demonstration provided:

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The CME reviewer field lets you assign the application to a user with the CME reviewer role. Only CME managers can assign CME reviewers, and you’ll only see users with the CME reviewer role in the dropdown.

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The Application Status is a helpful dropdown that allows admins to keep users informed about the progress of their applications. This status appears on all Activity Application dashboards.

Please note that this is not a workflow field—it does not trigger any automated actions. Site admins must update the status manually.

For step-by-step instructions on updating the application status or returning an application to the submitter for edits, see: Activity Applications States and Feedback Workflow.

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The options for Application Status are managed through taxonomy terms, which can be edited by users with the Site Admin role.

For more information about how these terms are auto-populated, see the Taxonomy Terms section below.

The system includes a rule that automatically sends an approval email to the application author whenever a course application is updated with a status that starts with “Approved.”

For example, you can create a custom status like “Approved by Manager.” As long as it begins with “Approved,” the system will still trigger the approval email.

Several fields in the Activity Application—such as Application Status —are populated using taxonomy terms. These lists include default values but can be customized based on your organization’s needs.

As a Site Admin, you can update, add, or remove taxonomy terms for any of these fields.

Follow the steps below to navigate to the Activity Application Status taxonomy page and view the complete list of terms:

You may use the links below to access each taxonomy list used in the Activity Application. From these pages, you can review and edit the terms that appear in corresponding sections of the application.

In the Audience section of the Activity Application—where it says, “This activity is intended for providers in the specialties of…”—taxonomy terms are used to list medical specialties.

You can update or edit these specialty terms by following the path below.

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In the Gap Analysis > Barriers section of the Activity Application—under the question, “How will you measure if changes in competence, performance, or patient outcomes have occurred?”—you’ll see taxonomy terms used for the available selections:

• Knowledge/Competence

• Outcomes/Population Health

• Performance

When a submitter selects one of these options, the system automatically generates a list of related selections. These auto-generated options are also managed through taxonomy terms.

You can update or edit these terms by following the paths provided below.

In the Manage Tab under Application Status, you’ll see a dropdown menu. You can update any of the options in this list by following the path below.

A CME Manager or CME Reviewer can convert an approved application into a course by selecting the “Create Activity” tab in the application menu. This tab is only visible once the application has been approved.

After the application is converted, the tab will change to “View Activity.”

Shared fields—such as Start Date, Expiration Date, Event Date, and others—will automatically transfer from the application to the new course shell. Applications are Related to a Single Course

After creating a course through an activity application, that course is linked to the original application. Each application can only be connected to a single course.

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A CME Manager or CME Reviewer can clone a previous Activity Application to allow for resubmission and review.

Editing an Activity Application form can be complex. It is recommended to try this on your test environment before making any changes in production. You may also submit a support ticket to request changes to the activity application form.

Watch the video below on editing Activity Application form fields.

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For more information please see:

• Editing Activity Application Form Fields and Instructions

• Field Type Definitions

Field mapping allows specific fields from an application form to be automatically copied into the course node. However, this only occurs if field mappings are explicitly configured—they are not applied by default.

EthosCE currently supports a maximum of approximately 50 custom fields per activity application form. Attempting to add more may lead to performance issues or unexpected behavior. Plan your form design accordingly.

Deleting a field from an application form can have unintended consequences, especially if that field has been used in existing or past applications:

• Deletion affects all historical data, including submissions from users.

• Mapped fields that are removed can result in data loss or application errors.

• Once a field is deleted, any data associated with it is not recoverable through the interface.

Field mappings are not retroactive. Mapping a field today will not transfer previously submitted data into the course. Only new applications submitted after the mapping has been configured will populate the course fields.

This section explains the three default email rules associated with the Activity Application module.

These rules are automatically active and ensure that specific email notifications are sent to the application submitter and relevant administrators.

Below are the three email rules:

This section reviews how to access your metadata for better management of this information.

The Manage tabs control all the backend metadata for a course application. Follow these two steps to navigate to the Manage (metadata) Tabs: