CPD -
Changes to Section 1 Application Process
Effective -- January 1, 2010
Update on RCPSC Interpretation of the CMA Guidelines (Effective January 1, 2010 - NO grandfathering)
Update on RCPSC Interpretation of the CMA Guideline Changes to take effect:
The ethical principles currently included within the comparison chart should be integrated within the planning processes of all accredited CPD providers. However, further updates related to the application of these ethical principles to on-line accredited group learning and self-assessment programs will be forth coming in future CPD Bulletin’s.
Implications of these CMA Guideline changes include:
Satellite Symposia
(CMA 2007 Guidelines 21 & 22)
Satellite Symposia are defined as unaccredited group learning events developed independently by non-physician organizations.
Changes to take effect:
The term “Satellite Symposia” will be restricted to unaccredited group learning events and included within Section 2 of the Maintenance of Certification program.
Any proposal for a workshop by a pharmaceutical company or other third party that is co-developed by an accredited CPD provider is an accredited group learning activity and should included as part of the conference.
Satellite symposia, as unaccredited group learning events, should not occur at times that would conflict with or compete with other accredited group learning activities be listed or included within conference brochures or schedules
CNSF NOTE: Since September 2008, Section 1 Co-Developed Physician Events within the Congress are termed Industry Co-Developed Symposia. Satellite Symposia, as defined above, are not part of the CNSF Annual Congress.
Physician Organization Responsibility
(CMA 2007 Guideline 23)
Accredited group CPD must be developed or co-developed by a physician organization.
The physician organization assumes responsibility for ensuring the educational and ethical standards for individual programs have been met.
Scientific Validity, Objectivity, Completeness of CPD Activities
(CMA 2007 Guideline 24)
The scientific validity, objectivity and completeness of the content presented at an accredited group event is a shared responsibility between the physician organization (e.g. Physician Organization Applicant) and faculty.
Physician organizations are responsible for: Selecting faculty.
Ensuring appropriate learning objectives.
Informing faculty of their obligations to develop presentations which are balanced and evidence informed.
Collecting disclosure forms of ALL faculty and planning committee members to disclose ALL financial relationships over the previous 2 years.
Ensuring there is a process to mange all identified conflicts of interests for both faculty and planning committee members.
Question: How does this apply to Section 3: SAP?
Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: After RCPSC April 2009 Meeting.
Funding - Financial Support
(CMA 2007 Guideline 25)
All funding provided by commercial interests or organizations in support of accredited group learning events must be provided directly to the physician organization (e.g. CNSF Secretariat Office on behalf of CNS or CNSS).
Physician Organizations are responsible to: Develop a budget (e.g. CNS or CNSS via planning committee).
Pay ALL conference expenses including travel, accommodation, honoraria - where applicable (e.g. CNSF Secretariat Office)
Financial support provided by companies can be acknowledged within the conference materials.
CNSF NOTE: Generic company name on Program Back Cover and at Registration Desk
It is strictly prohibited to: Include product specific materials on preliminary or final programs or other materials distributed to participants.
Funding - Terminology
(CMA 2007 Guideline 26)
The term "unrestricted educational grant" is replaced by "educational grant".
Companies providing financial support to accredited CPD events can not have any role or influence over any aspect of the CPD planning process.
Physician organizations (e.g. CNS/ CNSS at Congress or Physician Organization Applicant) that receive "educational grants" should provide a statement of account to each sponsoring company for how funding was allocated or spent.
Question: When the CNS/ CNSS is accrediting a Section 1 program for a Physician Organization Applicant, is the accreditor responsible for notifying the Physician Organization to provide a budget to “educational grant” providers? If yes, how will this be captured in the accreditors checklist?
Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: After RCPSC April 2009 Meeting.
Funding - Planning Committee Representatives
(CMA 2007 Guideline 27)
CNSF NOTE: This is a new CMA guideline. This guideline reads: Industry representatives should not be members of CME [CPD] content planning committees. They may be involved in providing logistical support.
It is strictly prohibited to: Include industry representatives as a member of the scientific planning committee.
Industry representatives could assist in the logistical planning (e.g. venue, audio-visual, catering) of accredited group learning.
CNSF NOTE:
Who can sit on planning committee?
Chair, Target Audience RepWho can NOT sit on planning committee e.g. attend conference calls)?
Pharma Rep, Communications RepHow are lines of communication kept open?
Chair or designate to provide meeting minutes.
Promotion of Products and Services
(CMA Guidelines 28, 29, 30)
Generic vs. Trade Names
Faculty presentations are to be consistent in their use of either generic names, trade names or both generic and trade names during their presentation.
Monitoring of faculty compliance to the consistent use of drug names should be monitored by the physician organization responsible for the CPD event.
CNSF NOTES: This is allowing for flexibility for faculty depending on the medical
device, pharmaceutical available.
Peer Selling
Peer selling whether intentional or unintentional of products, tools, or devices; within presentations that are not balanced and evidenced informed can not be included within accredited group learning activities included under Section 1 of the MOC program.
Specific Products (e.g. Medical Devices) and Services
Physician Organizations are required to instruct faculty to ensure presentations (and recommendations) are balanced and reflect the current scientific literature.
Unapproved use of products and services must be declared by faculty presenters.
The only caveat to this guideline is where there is only one treatment of management strategy.
Where appropriate, physician organizations should conduct content reviews of presentations where the likelihood of commercial bias is assessed to be high.
Promotional Displays (e.g. Tagging)
(CMA Guideline 23)
Promotional displays should include only materials approved by the physician organization.
Promotional displays must not be placed in rooms, outside the rooms or in areas where educational activities are being conducted.
UPDATE -- RCPSC FAQ of Accreditation (Decmeber 2009)
The elimination of sponsors tagging is not restricted to members of the pharmaceutical
industry, but to any sponsor including not-for-profit organizations. Any organization that
provides funding is considered a sponsor and would be under the same restrictions as forprofit industry organizations.
If funding has not been provided by an organization, then they are by definition not a
sponsor of the event. In the setting where organizations are providing “in-kind” resources other than funding, these organizations are more appropriately referred to as contributors or collaborators. However, the provision of an in-kind contribution does not allow the names of organization to be tagged to specific components, but acknowledged in general as a contributor or collaborator of the entire event.CNSF NOTES:
EDUCATION
CMA/ RCPSC are delinking industry from education. Therefore no tagging of any kind for education events.ADMINISTRATION
Currently, it is at the discretion of the CPD Organizers to provide sponsor signage at the registration desk. Signage can only be for Platinum, Gold, Silve, Bronze, etc. and not tagged to specific education event.SOCIAL EVENTS
Currently, it is at the discretion of the CPD Organizers to provide sponsor signage at the registration desk. Signage can only be for Platinum, Gold, Silve, Bronze, etc. and not tagged to specific education event. Social event may be tagged as long as no educational component.Question:
EDUCATION
How will this look online for Section 1 and Section 3? What are the implications?ADMINISTRATION
How will this look online for Section 1 and Section 3? What are the implications?What about online surveys? Is this administration (e.g. satisfaction survey) or education (e.g. needs assessment)?
SOCIAL EVENTS
How will this look online for Section 1 and Section 3? What are the implications?Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: To be addressed with the Task Force.
Travel and Accommodations
(CMA Guidelines 32 and 33)
All accredited group CPD events can not provide funding for physicians or their families to travel to attend events or to pay for their lodging or other related costs.
Faculty who present at accredited CPD events can receive financial support for travel, lodging and honoraria (where appropriate).
Physician organizations are accountable and responsible to ensure that all hospitality and other arrangements are modest and do not compete in any way with planned educational activities.
Hospitality and other social arrangements must not be subsidized by sponsors for personal guests of attendees or faculty, including spouses or family members.
The payment of honoraria, travel, lodging and meal expenses for faculty presenting at an accredited group CPD event is the responsibility of the physician organization (e.g. CNSF Secretariat Office).
Electronic Continuing Professional Development (e-CPD)
(CMA GUIDELINES 34 - 40.)
CNSF NOTE: These are new additions to the CMA guidelines.
Section 1
All e-CPD events that are included under Section 1 must meet all of the organizational, educational, and ethical standards required for face to face CME/CPD events.
Because of the unique nature of group CME delivered on-line the Royal College in collaboration with the University Offices of CME and the National Specialty Societies will develop a set of guidelines that will clarify issues related to how interactive learning will be promoted through an on-line media, when credits should be awarded etc.
The Royal College does not accredit enduring materials.
Question: Currently 25% interaction needs to be provided. Do CPD Providers need to track (and prove) interaction? If we have to prove interaction this has significant impact on the costs associated with e-CPD as a content management system will most likely be required.
Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: To be addressed through the developing task force
on E-CPD.
e-CPD Authors = Faculty Presenters
Authors of e-CPD modules are equivalent to faculty presenters at face to face CPD events.
Authors of e-CPD modules are accountable for the scientific validity and content of their modules.
Physician organizations are responsible and accountable to ensure the ethical standards for group learning are adhered to within an e-CPD context.
Authors of e-CPD modules should be selected for their expertise in the subject area (clinical or non-clinical) being discussed.
All authors and members of the planning committee must declare all conflicts of interest (see CMA Guideline 24 above) at the beginning of the on-line event.
Industry Promotional Material
All accredited group e-CPD events must be free of any promotional displays or infomercials.
If a link to any sponsor’s web site is provided then physician participants must be informed that if they click on such a link they will leave the e-CPD host site completely and must log back in.
Accredited group e-CPD included within Section 1 should include a link to MAINPORT to facilitate documentation of participation or for the development of personal learning projects stimulated by participation or completion of these modules.
Protection of Personal Information Participants must be informed and consent obtained (through the use of a consent form) for accredited group e-CPD events to use any participant information for any purpose other than collecting and storing participation in and completion of the e-CPD event.
Use of personal information must comply with current privacy legislation.
Access to Reading Material Accredited group e-CPD events should provide participants with links to review studies that are presented or referred to during the presentation. In making this recommendation we recognize that it is not the responsibility of the CPD provider to pay for access to references that require a fee or subscription.
Protection of Personal Information
Participants must be informed and consent obtained (through the use of a consent form)
Question: Is this a separate consent form or can it be an “agree, proceed”
Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: To be addressed through the developing task force on E-CPD.
for accredited group e-CPD events to use any participant information for any purpose other than collecting and storing participation in and completion of the e-CPD event.
Question: How do accreditors evaluate collecting and storing of personal information? Will examples be provided? Will this be added to Section 1 and Section 3 e-CPD applications?
Answer: Answer being researched.
Estimated Timeline: To be addressed through the developing task force on E-CPD.
Use of personal information must comply with current privacy legislation.
Access to Reading Material
Accredited group e-CPD events should provide participants with links to review studies that are presented or referred to during the presentation.
In making this recommendation we recognize that it is not the responsibility of the CPD provider to pay for access to references that require a fee or subscription.
MOC Accreditation
The accreditation of group e-CPD modules based on the Medical Expert role can only be approved for one year.
The sponsoring organization and authors must review and update the information and submit for review and approval by a recognized accredited CPD provider in Canada.
Accredited group e-CPD modules based on other CanMEDS Roles can be approved for durations of up to 3 years assuming that the content of the module has not changed.
CNSF NOTES: CanMEDs roles are non-medical, and therefore evolution/ change is slow, where a medical science or device may evolve/ change at a faster rate.
Changes to the module would require the sponsoring organization and authors to complete a review and update the module for review and/or approval by an accredited CPD provider recognized by the Royal College.
