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In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support: Standards to Ensure Independence in CME Activities, it is the policy of PIM to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its continuing medical education (CME) activities.
PIM requires everyone who is in a position to control the content of a CME activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest. This information is utilized to: 1) determine if a conflict exists, 2) resolve the conflict by initiating a content validation process, and 3) advise learners of this information. Any individual who refuses to (or chooses not to) disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from participating as an instructor, planner or manager and cannot have control of or responsibility for the development, management, presentation or evaluation of a CME activity certified by PIM.
Disclosures received by PIM from individuals in a position to control CME content are made transparent to learners prior to participating in the activity. PIM discloses the following information to learners: 1) the name of the individual, 2) the name of the commercial interest(s), and 3) the nature of the relationship the individual has with the commercial interest. PIM also discloses to learners the name(s) of commercial interests supporting each CME activity.
Once a conflict is identified, a content validation process is initiated to ensure that the content or format of the CME activity and related materials will promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not promote a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest. To this end, it is the policy of PIM to conduct an unbiased review of all planned content for CME activities certified for credit to ensure adherence to the ACCME content validation statements and to resolve any actual or perceived conflict of interest that exists. PIM employs three metrics to validate CME content: 1) fair balance, 2) the scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and 3) appropriateness of patient care recommendations made to learners.
All faculty receive instructions in individual confirmation letters that communicate the PIM standards of practice in CME. Specifically, information concerning expectations related to content validation and safeguards against commercial bias are detailed. Individual presentations or initial drafts of a conflicted faculty member’s content are reviewed by a PIM clinical staff member. If there are concerns identified by the content validation process, feedback may be requested from the course director or program chair, and if necessary, a separate expert peer review is conducted under the direction of PIM.
PIM requests that learners evaluate activities for the potential presence of bias. Additionally, PIM utilizes proctors to evaluate live activities related to content validity and management of commercial support funds. The proctors complete a clinical content evaluation tool provided by PIM to evaluate the activity for balance and bias toward the commercial supporter(s) of the activity or manufacturers of products discussed in the activity. The evaluation tool is designed to especially scrutinize patient treatment recommendations from the viewpoint that they are evidence-based, represent a standard of practice within the profession in the United States and contribute to overall improvements in patient care. Finally, the evaluation tool is designed to evaluate the studies and case presentations cited in the activity to ensure they are scientifically objective and conform to research principles generally accepted by the scientific community.
To download a copy of the PIM COI Policy, please click here.
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