Presentations

Logo

• DO cover up all logos when showing a device or product in pictures and videos. Logos of universities, eligible entities, and government are fine to use when they add value to the presentation.

• DO NOT include logos for products, devices, or ineligible entities.

Products

• DO include a variety of products when there are multiple on the market.

• DO NOT include a single product where others also exist.

Brand Names

• DO use generic/scientific names.

• DO NOT include brand names, trade names, or product group messages.

Companies

• DO use generic text/font when listing a company by name - text should match all other text in the document.

• DO NOT use branded, stylized names of products, companies, or logos.

Links/Sources

• DO have valid, reliable and accurate links/sources for your content.

• DO NOT direct learners or provide links to single products, service webpages, opinion articles, or content for purchase (books, subscriptions, etc.).

Pictures/Images

• DO use free domain/non-copyrighted images or recreate images. If using copyrighted images -  you must provide documentation with permission to use.

• DO use high-quality, easy to read images.

• DO use images relevant and necessary to presentation.

• DO recreate graphs/charts falling under copyright with appropriate references.

• DO NOT use images directly from the manufacturer or screen shots of others’ intellectual property.

• DO NOT use low-quality, pixelated, or blurry images.

• DO NOT clutter slides with multiple images, images irrelevant to presentation, or which could be offensive, disturbing, or inappropriate.

Content/Bias

• DO include a slide listing all disclosures.

• DO include disclosures for all authors, co-authors, and contributors for any content (forms needed for each individual).

• DO make sure disclosure statements in presentation match disclosure forms that were submitted to PIM

• DO offer balanced content that is free of commercial bias based on best available evidence and science.

• DO NOT offer bias towards products, devices or companies.

• DO NOT have overly busy slides (lots of pictures, full of content/words/data. 

Fonts

• DO choose easy to read fonts such as Arial, Century, Times New Roman, etc. 

• DO be considerate of colors that can be problematic for those with low vision or colorblindness.

• DO be consistent in color for things such as charts and graphs - use the same colors for the same agents/etc. throughout the presentation.

• DO use larger font size - 18+ and remain consistent throughout. References can be 14+ font and still be clear

• DO NOT use fonts that are harder to read (novelty, themed, script, etc.).

• DO NOT change font sizes to fit the page/slide.

• DO NOT use color schemes that can be seen as promoting a brand/product.

• DO NOT use colors that blend as differing shades of one color, or use light colored font.

Backgrounds

• DO consistently use clean backgrounds.

• DO NOT use busy, multicolored, or picture filled backgrounds.

A copy of these guidelines is available here.

Discussing Pharmaceuticals

AND/OR OTHER HEALTHCARE DEVICES

How to properly discuss Pharmaceuticals and/or other Healthcare Devices 

• When discussing pharmaceuticals, presenters/authors should include all therapeutic agents in the same class, mechanism of action, indicated use, etc as best practice to avoid bias towards any one agent. All recommendations, dosing, and use indications must have valid references. 

• When presenting devices, it is also best to discuss and present other devices on the market, unless it is new and nothing similar on the market exists. In this case, it is appropriate to mention what has been used before, if anything exists. 

• If a device has a generic name, it should be used. A “Fitbit” is a wearable health tracker or a “Squatty Potty” is a foot stool, for example. 

• When treatment-dosing recommendations are presented, references should be provided for learners. Providing references in general is best practice and should be up-to-date. 

Generic vs. Non-generic 

• In order to put forth a balanced presentation, generic names and listing several treatment options shows impartiality. The ACCME guidelines state generic names should always be used and brand names used only when absolutely necessary. As the accredited provider, PIM reserves final decision on the necessity of brand names. If a brand name is used, all drugs referenced should include both brand and generic names and listed in the same manner throughout the deck. 

Faculty Letter

At the start of the planning process, you will receive a communication similar to the following. This is used to identify potential relevant financial relationships before project planning starts, so plenty of time can be allocated to mitigate relationships, as necessary. 

Date

Name

Title

Affiliation

Address

City, State Zip

Dear [Faculty Member Name],

On behalf of the Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), thank you for agreeing to serve as a faculty member for the [insert date] accredited continuing education (referred to as CE in this letter) [insert activity format <i.e. symposium, monograph, etc.> and location if applicable <i.e. in conjunction with XYZ society meeting>]. We are pleased to confirm your participation and greatly appreciate you contributing to this educational offering.

It is our pleasure to be working in joint providership with [insert education partner] to produce this educational offering. [Insert educational partner contact] will be your contact at [insert educational partner] and can be reached via telephone at [insert phone number] or via email at [insert email address].

This CE activity, entitled [insert activity title], is targeted to [insert target audience]. Please find below additional details of this activity that should be taken into consideration during the preparation of the educational materials.

Educational Objectives

The following educational objectives have been established for the activity and will be used as a benchmark for judging the success of the endeavor.

Upon completion of the activity, participants should be better able to:

Accreditation Standards for Integrity and Independence

As a jointly accredited provider, and in compliance with any other relevant accreditation criteria that may apply to this specific activity, PIM requires that faculty members comply with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education (Standards).  We will be disclosing to participants that this activity is supported by an educational grant from [insert commercial supporter(s)].

As a faculty member, you are required to disclose any personal financial interest or relationship that you have with companies/organizations whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients (ineligible entities) in the last 24 months. Please note, the ACCME Standards were updated and went into effect on January 1, 2022. The one update that impacts faculty the most includes stock/equity interest in privately held companies. These individuals are now seen as owner/employees of the privately held company and must be excluded from participation with rare exceptions.

Toward this end, we ask that you complete and sign the Conflict of Interest Reporting Form that accompanies this letter.  Please kindly return the completed document within two weeks via email to [insert email address].

We will utilize this information to 1) determine if relationships are relevant, 2) mitigate the relevant relationship in accordance with PIM policies, generally by initiating a content validation process, and 3) advise learners of all relevant financial relationships. Please note that the ACCME Standards require accredited providers to disqualify planners, faculty, and others in control of educational content that do not supply this information. Also, please advise your PIM contact of any new or terminated financial relationships with ineligible companies that may occur between the time you complete this disclosure and your participation in the activity.

Note: If disclosures included within slides are different from the completed disclosure form, PIM will need to verify which set of disclosures are correct and may require a new disclosure form be completed.

Content Standards

This educational activity must follow the standards for CE established by the Joint Accreditation Commission, AMA, FDA, and other relevant bodies. Accordingly, please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. CE activities are conducted for the education of the audience and, by extension, the benefit of their patients and the general public; they must not be designed to promote ineligible entities or products.

2. CE activities must be objective and balanced, including presentation of legitimate differences and contrasting views, and based upon the current best evidence available. 

3. Use of generic names when referring to drugs is strongly encouraged. If trade names are used, those of several companies must be included. The use of ineligible entity corporate logos is also not allowable. PIM retains final authority on the use of brand names.

4. Discussion of off-label and investigational usage of products is permissible but must be disclosed as such and include references.

5. The educational content must address the learning objectives for the activity.

We encourage you to incorporate opportunities for the learners to actively participate in the teaching/learning process through problem-solving activities. Examples of techniques to accomplish this include, but are not limited to: using a problem solving approach to frame the delivery of information/evidence; use of polling questions interlaced within the content with the appropriateness of each choice then discussed; use of case studies; or panel discussions and audience questions for evidence or strategies that are controversial or undecided. Please work with <insert educational partner contact> and PIM during the development of your content to determine which strategies for active learning and learner-self assessment might be appropriate for your presentation and this activity.    

Participant Evaluations

It is the policy of PIM to conduct post-activity evaluations. These evaluations ask participants to evaluate: 1) the appropriateness of the educational content to their clinical practice; 2) whether the educational content satisfied the stated objectives; 3) whether they intend to make any changes in practice; and 4) whether there was any evidence of commercial bias. The results of these evaluations are shared with the faculty and are used to plan future educational activities.

Honorarium and Expense Reimbursement

In appreciation of your time and professional commitment to this educational endeavor, we are pleased to offer you an honorarium of $<amount>. In addition, if applicable, out-of-pocket expenses incurred for your role as a faculty member in this CE activity will be reimbursed, to include standard coach airfare, transportation to and from the airport and to the activity site, meals on the day of the activity, and standard hotel accommodations for your time of participation. 

<IF NO HONORARIUM; replace above paragraph with the following> We appreciate your time and professional commitment to this activity. As agreed, you will not be receiving an honorarium; however, if applicable, out-of-pocket expenses incurred for your role as a faculty member in this CE activity will be reimbursed, to include standard coach airfare, transportation to and from the airport and to the activity site, meals on the day of the activity, and standard hotel accommodations for your time of participation. 

As faculty, you may not accept any additional payment or assistance for your work in this activity from any ineligible entity.

Physician Payment Sunshine Act (“Sunshine Act”)

Under the terms of the Open Payments provisions of the Affordable Care Act and the accompanying regulations from the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS), applicable manufactures are required to report certain transfers of value provided to Physicians (currently defined in the law as an MD, DO, Dentist, Dental Surgeon, Optometrist, Chiropractor, or Podiatrist), Physician Assistants (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Anesthesiologist Assistants (AA/CAA), and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM), as detailed in the expanded SUPPORT Act.

According to CMS guidance, when an applicable manufacturer “provides funding to a continuing education provider, but does not either select or pay the covered recipient speaker directly, or provide the continuing education provider with a distinct, identifiable set of covered recipients to be considered as speakers for the continuing education program, CMS will consider those payments to be excluded from reporting under § 403.904(i)(1)” (emphasis added).

CMS clarified and reiterated that when an “applicable manufacturer conveys ‘full discretion’ to the continuing education provider, “those payments are outside the scope of the rule” (emphasis added).  As you’re likely aware, the ACCME Standards mandates that commercial supporters convey full discretion to CE providers to ensure that all decisions regarding the content, faculty, speakers, and attendees are made free from the control of a commercial supporter.  Consistent with these standards, PIM strictly prohibits commercial supporters from having any direct or indirect influence or control with respect to the content, faculty, speakers, or attendees of the activities it provides.  Therefore, the payments you receive for your role as faculty for this activity are considered to be excluded from reporting requirements by the CMS.

However, reporting requirements are interpreted in various ways by manufacturers; therefore, if a commercial supporter for this activity asks for information they believe is needed to comply with the Sunshine Act, PIM will provide this information and the fact that you served as a faculty member or planner for this particular CE activity.

Thank you for your contributions in developing this educational offering.  

Sincerely,

>>Program Manager<<

Postgraduate Institute for Medicine

>>Email & Phone<<

Resources

ACCME Resource

Disclosure Form

Faculty Eligibility