St. Joseph CME Speaker Information
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center deeply appreciates our speakers' willingness to contribute to the Continuing Medical Education (CME) for our medical staff and community health care providers. This page is designed as a resource to assist faculty in complying with the regulations of the Washington State Medical Association, our accrediting body, and the ACCME, particularly in areas of disclosure and conflict of interest.
Disclosure and Mitigation of Conflict of Interest
All persons in a position to control CME content must disclose whether they do or do not have any relevant financial relationship(s) with an ACCME-defined ineligible company* in advance of an activity. This includes all activity planners, speakers, discussion moderators, panel members, among others. The first step is to complete and submit a Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Mitigation form to the CME Office before an educational activity. This requirement must be met for an activity to be eligible for Category I credit. *An ineligible company is any whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
In the event a speaker or other person in a position to control CME content discloses a relevant financial relationship, he or she is seen to have a potential conflict of interest that must be mitigated by PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center before the education takes place. This may be achieved in several ways; please contact the CME Office for details. The presence or absence of a relevant financial interest with an ineligible company (e.g., a potential conflict of interest) must be disclosed to learners before an activity.
Use of Trade Names or Company Logos
It is appropriate for faculty to discuss drugs or devices in some CME activities, depending on the topic. However, to avoid commercial bias during a presentation, faculty should discuss classes of drugs and avoid use of trade names. If it is necessary to use trade names, faculty should address drugs or devices made by at least two companies.
Images containing a visible company logo, trade name or pharmaceutical/medical device brand may NOT appear in any materials used in an activity designated for Category I credit. Use of company logos on slides or other educational materials provided to learners violates ACCME and WSMA accreditation standards. These guidelines apply whether or not a presentation receives commercial support.
HIPAA and Case Presentations
Case presentations are extremely valuable learning formats in CME. Patients should be de-identified during case discussions in keeping with HIPAA regulations.
Industry Support & Ethics
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center expects CME faculty to adhere to the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, as well as the AMA Medical Ethics Opinion 9.6.2 on Gifts to Physicians from Industry. Please help the CME Office ensure that educational activity planner(s) and presenter(s) receive no financial support (including in-kind support) from an ineligible company. All monies or in-kind support for a Category 1 CME activity, including honoraria, travel or lodging expenses, must be received and disbursed through the PeaceHealth St. Joseph CME Office. Failure to do so may jeopardize program accreditation and result in denial of credit for the educational event.
Honoraria
- Speakers on the PeaceHealth St. Joseph medical staff are not offered honoraria, but may be reimbursed up to $150.00 for receipts directly related to costs incurred for preparing an educational activity.
- Speakers from out of town or not on the medical staff may receive an honorarium, to be negotiated prior to confirmation of the activity.
Physician Credit for Teaching
In 2006, the AMA granted accredited CME providers the ability to award Category I credit to physician faculty on a 2:1 basis for original presentations that have been designated for Category 1 credit. Physician faculty: Please complete and return the AMA Learning from Teaching form (pdf) to claim additional Learning from Teaching credit for educational activities accredited by PeaceHealth St. Joseph. Teaching credit forms must be submitted to the CME Office by Dec. 31 of the year in which the Category I activity took place.