As the accredited provider, Des Moines University (DMU) is committed to ensuring that accredited continuing education (1) presents learners with only accurate, balanced, scientifically justified recommendations and (2) protects learners from promotion, marketing, and commercial bias. DMU is responsible for identifying financial relationships between individuals in control of educational content and ineligible companies and managing them to ensure they do not introduce commercial bias.

Financial relationships of any dollar amount are defined as relevant if the educational content is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) defines an ineligible company as an organization “whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients." The ACCME does not consider clinical service providers directly to patients as ineligible companies. Ineligible companies are prohibited from engaging in joint providership with accredited providers.

DMU must collect information from all planners, faculty, and others in control of educational content about all their financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. There is no minimum monetary threshold; individuals must disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies regardless of the amount. Individuals must disclose irrespective of their view, the relevance of the relationship to education. Individuals who refuse to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from developing, managing, presenting, or evaluating the activity. The disclosure intends not to prevent an individual from being involved in a continuing education activity but to provide learners with information on which they can make their judgments. This disclosure policy is intended to protect all parties involved from any potential conflict of interest that may arise.

Individuals participating in a DMU educational activity must be aware of any such financial relationship(s) or the lack of a financial relationship. If you are a speaker, please include a disclosure statement at the beginning of your presentation. Example disclosure statements are below. 

  • No Relevant Financial Conflicts: Relevant to the content of this educational activity, I do not have any financial conflicts with ineligible companies to disclose.
  • Self: Relevant to the content of this educational activity, I am a consultant for ABC Pharma Company. 

How can I determine if my organization is an ineligible company?

References: American Osteopathic Association, ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, Council on Podiatric Medical Education


 

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The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) defines an ineligible company as an organization “whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients." The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be ineligible companies. DMU is required to collect information from all planners, faculty, and others in control of educational content about all their financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. There is no minimum financial threshold; individuals must disclose all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with ineligible companies. Individuals must disclose regardless of their view of the relevance of the relationship to the education. Any individual who refuses to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from developing, managing, presenting, or evaluating the activity.
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Principal investigator or working directly for company or the company’s agent
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Providers of clinic services directly (i.e., clinics, hospitals, etc.) are NOT commercial interests.
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All financial relationships must be mitigated before the activity start date. The DMU CME office will make the final determination regarding relevancy, and additional information may be requested.
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If, at any time during my presentation, I discuss an off-label use of a commercial product/device, I understand that I must provide disclosure of that intent.
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By signing this box with my electronic signature, I attest that the information I have provided is complete to the best of my knowledge. I accept responsibility for the accuracy of the information in response to the questions mentioned above. I will uphold Des Moines University’s continuing medical education standards and guidelines to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in my role in the planning, developing or presenting this activity. I understand that continuing education accreditation guidelines prohibit me from accepting any reimbursement (financial, gifts, or in-kind exchange) for this presentation from any source other than the accredited CME provider or its educational partner. Additional information may be requested to mitigate any perceived conflict of interest. This may include a peer review, limiting the scope of the presentation, recommendations based on a structured review of best evidence, a suggestion of an alternative speaker or planning committee member, on-site monitor, altering the course design to ensure fair and balanced treatment or topic, and/or dissolving the financial relationship. All identified conflicts of interest will be managed and mitigated in advance of the activity, and disclosure information will be shared with the activity participants.