MSACOFP policies, expectations, and considerations for developing educational content

This page should be reviewed and understood in its entirety by anyone contributing to the development of educational content for MSACOFP. This includes all members of any planning or advisory committee and all faculty, speakers, and presenters. 

MSACOFP Policy on Full Disclosure

Education provided by MSACOFP is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and is submitted for accreditation to the American Academy of Family Physicians. All educational activities follow accreditation guidelines to create high-quality education that is independent of industry influence.

Any person who has the ability to control the educational content of accredited CME activities must disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies over the prior 24 months. We define ineligible companies as those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. There is no minimum financial threshold; all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with ineligible companies must be disclosed. 

The full Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education is available at accme.org/standards. 

Since healthcare professionals serve as the trusted authorities when advising patients, they must protect their environment from industry influence to ensure they remain true to their ethical commitments. Many healthcare professionals have financial relationships with ineligible companies. By identifying and mitigating relevant financial relationships, we create a protected space to learn, teach, and engage in scientific discourse free of influence from organizations that may have an incentive to insert commercial bias into education.

After we receive financial disclosure information from anyone involved in creating our education (planning committee members, faculty, etc.), it is reviewed to determine whether financial relationships are relevant to the education. The identification of relevant financial relationships does not necessarily mean that the individual is unable to participate in the planning and implementation of the educational activity. The accreditation standards require that relevant financial relationships are mitigated before an individual assumes their roles in the activity. 

Expectations for Educational Content

Educational content must be fair and balanced, and any clinical content presented must support safe, effective patient care. This includes expectations that: 

All recommendations for patient care in accredited continuing education must be based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning, while giving a fair and balanced view of diagnostic and therapeutic options.

• All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in accredited education in support or justification of a patient care recommendation must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Although accredited continuing education is an appropriate place to discuss, debate, and explore new and evolving topics, these areas need to be clearly identified as such within the program and individual presentations. It is the responsibility of accredited providers to facilitate engagement with these topics without advocating for, or promoting, practices that are not, or not yet, adequately based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning.
• Content cannot be included in accredited education if it advocates for unscientific approaches to diagnosis or therapy, or if the education promotes recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing healthcare that are determined to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients.

These expectations are drawn from Standard 1 of the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. For more information, see accme.org/standards. If we can help you to understand and/or apply these, please contact our office at [email protected] or (573) 634-4667. 

Considerations for Developing Content

Consider using the following best practices when presenting clinical content in accredited CE:

• Clearly describe the level of evidence on which the presentation is based and provide enough information about data (study dates, design, etc.) to enable learners to assess research validity.
• Ensure that, if there is a range of evidence, that the credible sources cited present a balanced view of the evidence.
• If clinical recommendations will be made, include balanced information on all available therapeutic options.
• Address any potential risks or adverse effects that could be caused with any clinical recommendations.

Although accredited CE is an appropriate place to discuss, debate, and explore new and evolving topics, presenting topics or treatments with a lower (or absent) evidence base should include the following strategies:

• Facilitate engagement with these topics without advocating for, or promoting, practices that are not, or not yet adequately based on current science, evidence, and clinical reasoning
• Construct the activity as a debate or dialogue. Identify other faculty who represent a range of opinions and perspectives; presentations should include a balanced, objective view of research and treatment options.
• Teach about the merits and limitations of a therapeutic or diagnostic approach rather than how to use it.
• Identify content that has not been accepted as scientifically meritorious by regulatory and other authorities, or when the material has not been included in scientifically accepted guidelines or published in journals with national or international stature.
• Clearly communicate the learning goals for the activity to learners (e.g., “This activity will teach you about how your patients may be using XX therapy and how to answer their questions. It will not teach you how to administer XX therapy”).