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Princeton CME Standards and Policies for CME/CE Development and Execution and Independence from Commercial Interests
Identification of Educational Needs
It is the policy of Princeton CME to design CME/CE activities that address knowledge gaps of targeted learners by incorporating current evidence-based information. Our in-house CME/CE staff continually identifies educational needs of healthcare professionals through diverse means, including literature reviews, audience surveys, faculty discussions, and communications with partner institutions. Pre- and post-activity evaluation data are also examined to gauge the educational effectiveness of recent CME/CE activities and identify ongoing educational needs. Based on adult-learning principles, educational methods for CME/CE activities are learner-directed and designed to ensure the ideal format to address the identified knowledge gaps for the particular target audience.
Faculty Selection
It is the policy of Princeton CME to neither solicit nor accept faculty recommendations from commercial interests for CME/CE activities. Princeton CME must ensure that the content of CME/CE activities remains beyond control of any commercial interest. The CME/CE process must be independent of any commercial interest. Princeton CME does not permit commercial interests to directly (SCS 1.1) or indirectly (SCS3.2) control the content of CME/CE activities.
Disclosure and Conflict Resolution
It is the policy of Princeton CME to ensure that CME/CE activities are free of commercial bias and are not designed to advance the financial interests of commercial entities or instructors. Princeton CME requires that all prospective faculty, planning committee members, and other individuals in a position to control or influence CME/CE content disclose relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests. If conflicts of interest are identified, it is the responsibility of Princeton CME to initiate a mechanism to resolve those conflicts.
Princeton CME strives to reach conflict resolutions with faculty, planning committee members, and other individuals in a position to control or influence CME/CE content that meet requirements and serve the best interests of learners. If potential faculty disclose significant relationships, Princeton CME assesses how those relationships may affect content or objectivity. Princeton CME also requires faculty to validate all clinical recommendations by stating the level of evidence and requires all content to be reviewed by an independent clinical reviewer before presentation. If Princeton CME and the independent clinical reviewer agree that data are biased and cannot be substantiated by a high level of evidence, faculty must exclude those data. Princeton CME is committed to resolving all potential conflicts of interest, although if faculty have significant financial interests that cannot be reconciled, Princeton CME reserves the right to prohibit faculty from participation.
Level of Evidence
It is the policy of Princeton CME to validate all content of CME/CE activities. In accordance with ACCME, Princeton CME ensures that, “all the recommendations involving clinical medicine in a CME activity must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients. All scientific research referred to, reported or used in CME in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.” (Adopted by ACCME July 2002)
Medical Accuracy Reviews
It is the policy of Princeton CME to neither solicit nor respond to requests from commercial interests to conduct medical accuracy reviews of CME/CE activities. Princeton CME is committed to ensuring that all CME/CE content is scientifically accurate and developed and disseminated with complete independence from commercial interests
Evaluation and Outcomes Measurement
It is the policy of Princeton CME to require CME/CE learners to assess the quality and effectiveness of all CME/CE activities. Individual and cumulative data are gathered with post-activity evaluation forms, including questions regarding the overall rating of activities, the quality of the educational design, faculty, and facilities, to what extent activities met their learning objectives, whether they are scientifically rigorous, objective, balanced, and free of commercial bias, and whether learners intended to implement practice changes related to CME/CE content. Learner changes in knowledge and competence and level-4 performance changes are also assessed through pre- and post-testing. Our in-house CME/CE staff regularly assesses all outcomes and evaluation data to gauge the effectiveness of individual activities and the overall CME/CE program, and to identify areas for improvement and ongoing educational needs.
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