The American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Judicial and Ethical Affairs (CEJA) has revised their report on Financial Relationships with industry in Continuing Medical Education.
In light of feedback already received regarding CEJA Report 1-A-09, “Financial Relationships with Industry in Continuing Medical Education,” the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs has revised this report to make its analysis and recommendations clearer. The revised documents, includes showing changes through strike-outs and insertions to make them transparent for readers.
They released their latest version of their report allowing for supporters to have some safe guards as to how the CME support they provide is guaranteed to be spent on quality education.
The main changes are in the recommendations under the section on ethically permissible CME. .
CME providers accept funding from industry sources if the following conditions are met:
a. the educational activity is planned by the provider based on needs identified independent of and prior to solicitation or acceptance of the funding; and
b. Old language: the use of the funding is not restricted in any way.
New language: the provider is not required to accept advice or services concerning educational content, faculty or content developers, or other educational matters as a condition of funding; and
c. the source of the funding is clearly disclosed; and
d. the CME provider is not overly reliant on funding from industry sources.
In addition they dropped the definition of ethically prohibited altogether which stated that: CME activities that involve financial relationships which cannot be addressed through any of these mechanisms are ethically prohibited.
They also are moving away from several concepts including:
To achieve theses goals (keep up-to-date), medicine has an ethical obligation to ensure that the profession itself
From: sets the agenda for physician education, controls what subject matter is taught
To: defines the goals of physician education, determines physicians educational needs.
Also away from: faculty that is “conflicted but necessary expertise”
And towards: In certain compelling circumstances, however, participation by an individual, who has a significant financial interest may be ethically permissible when the individual has unique expertise.
They are completely dropping the concept that CME activities that involve financial relationships which can compromise the integrity and objectivity of education that cannot be addressed through any of these mechanisms are ethically prohibited.
We applaud these changes as relevant and more practical to work with. CEJA has crossed a significant hurdle in ensuring that manufactures can still support quality CME programs.
For futher comments plan to join the AMA CEJA at the Reference Committee on this Sunday June 14th from 1:30pm – 6:00pm.