Continuing Education Guidelines/Disclosure Q&A
Guidelines
- All presentations are to be fair balanced and free of commercial bias.
- All offerings must have at least two (2) learning objectives that clearly indicate what participants will be able to do after attending the session.
- In support of the Continuing Education guidelines, DIA has implemented a policy where anyone in a position to control the content (this includes program chair and committee members, track chairs, program offering chairs, speakers, and panelists) must provide DIA with any relevant financial relationships they have with the manufacturer of products or services as discussed within their presentation or with regard to the content of the program offering/meeting (for those who are not speaking). If a program participant has a conflict of interest as a result of the financial relationship, this will need to be mitigated prior to the meeting. For more information on disclosure, please review the Disclosure Questions and Answers section below.
- If a program participant does not provide a disclosure to DIA, he/she will not be permitted to participate in the meeting.
- When discussing therapeutic options, it is DIA’s preference that only generic names and not trade names be used. If it is necessary to use trade names, please use the trade names of all products being discussed.
- All recommendations involving clinical medicine in a CME session 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.
Disclosure Q&A
Frequently asked questions regarding participant disclosure and responses are noted below.
Why do volunteers need to disclose? As an accredited provider DIA is required to identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the educational activity taking place. DIA must also provide disclosure information to the participants.
Who needs to disclose? Anyone in a position to control content: Program chair(s), Track chairs, Program offering chairs, Speakers, Panelists, Authors, DIA staff developing content. (The above are referred to in this document as program participants.)
What needs to be disclosed? All relevant financial relationships between the commercial supporter (if applicable) or manufacturer of services discussed within the activity and/or presentation. Program chairs and track chairs need to provide disclosure related to the development of the activity; program offering chairs, speakers, and authors need to provide disclosure related to the content of their presentation. If a program participant has no financial relationships that also needs to be disclosed.
Does a program participant need to disclose all financial relationships? No, only those that pertain to the content of the educational activity or presentation.
Does a program participant need to disclose the amount of the financial relationship? No.
If a volunteer participates as a program participant in multiple activities, does he/she have to complete a disclosure form for each activity? Yes. The disclosure is pertinent to the content/presentation of the given activity.
Do the new Accreditation Council for Continuing Education (ACCME) Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education affect all DIA activities? Yes. The policies and procedures established to support the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence apply to all DIA continuing education certified activities.