Principle

Overview 

The Office of Professional and Educational Development (OPED) at Memorial University (Memorial) is a university-accredited provider of Continuing Medical Education(CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as designated by the Committee on Accreditation for Continuing Medical Education (CACME). Such designation allows OPED to accredit Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) CME/CPD activities, by following accreditation guidelines set forth by the two colleges. OPED also follows policies and standards set forth by other national stakeholders of medical education, as referenced in this policy. OPED staff work to ensure CME/CPD activities delivered at the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) are in compliance with these policies and standards to ensure the design, development and delivery of high quality and accredited CME/CPD programs.

Purpose

1. To define a centralized and streamlined process for the coordination and accreditation of CME/CPD programs offered by the FoM to physicians, other faculty members, and healthcare providers within the province; and,

2. To clarify the role of faculty members involved in CME/CPD activities, including disclosure and conflict of interest, while ensuring the delivery of unbiased, high-quality programming.

Scope

This policy covers all forms of accredited CME/CPD activities endorsed by the FoM whether held on or off campus, or by distance learning including conferences, symposiums, regularly scheduled series and all enduring materials (online, print, DVD, etc.), with the exception of grand rounds. The coordination and accreditation of grand rounds is the responsibility of the appropriate Discipline Chair. This policy applies to all faculty, staff, and learners of the FoM at Memorial University (Memorial).

Definitions

Accredited CPD Activity — An educational event that meets the administrative, educational and ethical standards of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and College of Family Physicians of Canada. Accredited CPD activities include group learning, self-learning and assessment, in a live or electronic format.

College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) — The professional organization responsible for establishing standards for the training, certification and lifelong education of family physicians and for advocating on behalf of the specialty of family medicine, family physicians and their patients.

Commercial Interest — For-profit entities that develop, produce, market, re-sells or distribute drugs, devices, products, or other healthcare goods, services or therapies that may be prescribed to patients or ordered by doctors in the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, management or palliation of health conditions.

Commercial Support — Financial or in-kind contributions given by a commercial interest, which is used to pay all or part of the costs of an educational activity. “In-kind” includes the loan or donation of equipment, supplies, and/or services; and the provision of staff that are paid by a commercial interest.

Conflict of Interest (COI) — A set of conditions in which judgement or decisions concerning a primary interest (example a patients’ welfare, the validity of research and/or quality of medical education) is unduly influenced by a secondary interest (personal or organizational benefit including financial gain, academic or career advancement, or other benefits to family, friends, or colleagues).

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) — An array of educational activities that health professionals undertake to maintain, develop, and enhance the knowledge, skills, professional performance and relationships they use to  provide care for patients, the public, and the profession.

FoM Designated Teaching Site — A site not located within the Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) campus which has been designated by the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) as appropriate for providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Ghostwriting — Occurs when a paid professional writer, whether or not medically trained, writes something credited to someone else.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) — The national professional association for specialists with the mission of improving the health and care of Canadians by leading in medical education, professional standards, physician competence and continuous enhancement of the health system.

Speaker Bureau — An arrangement in which speakers are under contract to a company, and thus are agents of the company, and the speaker does not have editorial control of the content.

Policy

1.0 The development, delivery, and accreditation of all Memorial, FoM CME/CPD programming must be coordinated through OPED in accordance with outlined standards and procedures (see exceptions under Scope). 

2.0 For CME/CPD programming delivered at affiliated institutions, faculty, staff and learner shall abide by the relevant guidelines of that institution, where they do not conflict with the overarching standards of accreditation. 

3.0 The following standards must be followed during the development and delivery of CME/CPD programming: 

3.1 The Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME);

3.2 Accreditation guidelines as set by the RCPSC and/or the CFPC; 

3.3 National standard for support of accredited CPD activities; and

3.4 The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) Guidelines for Interactions with Industry (2007) and Innovative Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices (2020).

4.0. OPED shall ensure their interactions with sponsors meet professional and legal standards including the protection of privacy, confidentiality, copyright and contractual law regulations.

5.0. All members of Memorial must abide by the Conflict of Interest (COI) Policy. Faculty, staff, and learners are responsible for assessing their own involvement and activities and to report any real, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest as per the Procedure for Disclosing and Assessing Conflicts of Interest.

Related Documents

Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education 

National Standard for Support of Accredited CPD Activities 

Canadian Medical Association Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry

CFPC Accreditation Guidelines  

Memorial Conflict of Interest Policy 

RCPSC Guidelines and Processes for Physician Organizations

Innovative Medicines Code of Ethical Practices

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References 

Campbell, C., Silver, I., Sherbine, J., Cate, O., & Holmboe, E. (2010). Competency-based continuing professional development. Medical Teacher, 32(8), 657-662.

Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. (2012). CME content: Definition and examples. In ACCME: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. Retrieved from http://www.accme.org/requirements/accreditation-requirements-cmeproviders/policies-and-definitions/cme-content-definition-and-examples

Memorial University. (2011). Conflict of interest. In University policies: Conflict of interest. Retrieved from http://www.mun.ca/policy/site/policy.php?id=180 

Labrecque, M., Lafortune, V., Lajeunesse, J., Lambert-Perrault, A.M., Manrique, H., Blais, J… Legare, F. (2010). Do continuing medical education articles foster shared decision making? Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 30(1), 44-50. 

Sargeant, J., Borduas, F., Sales, A., Klein, D., Lynn, B., & Stenerson, H. (2011). CDP and KT: Models used and opportunities for synergy. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 31(3), 167-173.

Procedures: