Posts filed under 'CME'
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 29th, 2009
Here is a good news story for those of us working hard to serve physician learners. Recognition of excellent work by a CME colleague. Congratulations to Nadine Pieniaszek.
Bayhealth Names Educator of Year
Cape Gazette.com, December 28th, 2009
“When most people think about librarians, they think about the wizened, bespectacled, white-haired woman who testily shushes noisy library patrons and exudes all the personality of the Dewey Decimal System.
But that’s before they meet Nadine Pieniaszek (pronounced “pen-a-zak”).
Bubbly and radiant, Pieniaszek is not your typical librarian. As the Bayhealth Medical Center Librarian and Continuing Medical Education (CME) coordinator, Pieniaszek, MLS, provides physicians and clinical staff with the most current and reliable medical information. And, she devotes herself fully to library patrons so they can become independent in navigating the library universe…………..”
Add comment December 30, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 19th, 2009
NOTE: These kinds of stories help flame the fires of legislative interference in CME related to disclosure, gifts to physicians, etc.
Hospital Docs Travel Widely on Taxpayers Dime
WSJ’s blog on health and the business of health.
By James A. White, December 18, 2009, 3:15 PM ET
“Where’s the best place for doctors at a county hospital in Northern California to keep up to date with medical developments?
Auditors looking at three years of spending on continuing medical education found 339 docs at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center spent time in Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Spain, China, Aruba, Thailand, the West Indies and the Bahamas, the San Jose Mercury News reported. More than one-third of the educational trips during the audit period were to Hawaii; the docs logged only 8% of their CME units in California, the paper said…..”
Add comment December 19, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 18th, 2009
NOTE: More on the NEJM article calling for a pooled fund to support CME. There are some models in practice doing something like this but not a potential onerous as a “superfund”. I wonder if the people calling for this approach have even examined these models. I doubt it. As for me, I hope the “Superfund” idea crashes and burns.
HHS Inspector General Renews Call for Independent CME
GoozNews, December 17, 2009
“Following up on his testimony before the Senate Committee on Aging last July, Health and Human Services Inspector General Lewis Morris and colleague Julie Taitsman renewed their call for severing all ties between industry and continuing medical education. In an article in the current New England Journal of Medicine (subscription required), they also outlined an industry pooling arrangement as a halfway agenda for limiting industry influence over CME.
A “pooled-funding mechanism, using safeguards to ensure that CME programs serve an educational need and that industry donors cannot influence CME content, offers a promising compromise solution that may allow the medical profession to enjoy subsidized CME,” Lewis Morris, chief counsel to the OIG, and Julie K. Taitsman wrote………”
NJ AG’s Office Has Recommendations on Doctor/Industry Conflict of Interest
Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer, December 17, 2009
“New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram has released a report from the Division of Consumer Affairs that recommends new regulations to avoid conflicts of interest between doctors and pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers……”
The New Jersey Attorney General’s press release with the report can be accessed here.
NOTE: Here is something those of us looking for resources to answer FAQ’s about CME might find useful. It is from the University of Utah Office of CME.
The University of Utah Continuing Medical Education (UUCME) FAQs
Office of Continuing Medical Education
You’ll find the resource here:
Add comment December 18, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 17th, 2009 [2]
Conflict of interest in continuing medical education
Healthcare Etc., December 17, 2009
“…..In this week’s NEJM, there is a piece from the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of Health and Human Services titled “The Agenda for continuing Medical Education — Limiting Industry’s Influence”. In this article Morris and Taitsman lay out the issues and potential solutions. And while the problems are quite apparent, sensible solutions are scarce. The problems may be summarized as the undue influence by the Industry stake holders on the content of physician education. To understand this mouthful, one has to be familiar with the structure of the CME establishment……”
Add comment December 18, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 14, 2009
Note: This article addresses the issue of doctors keeping up to date. It is worth a read. CME is mentioned. We all are aware that knowing is not enough. But not physicians not knowing may be hazardous to my health.
Doctor’s Orders: Practicing Evidence-Based Medicine Is a Challenge
By Todd Neale, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: December 12, 2009
With the amount of research being published in medical journals and presented at meetings, it should not be surprising when a new finding slips by a busy physician.
Nor should it be surprising, then, that some decisions about patient care might be made without benefit of the most recent evidence………….”
NOTE: You need to read this next one. Regardless of your position on this issue you’ll find some of the opinions held by Dr. Brodkey interesting to say the least. A fact check could prove to be interesting on this one. And some of the opinions expressed show a definite bias.
A Question of Ethics: An Expert Interview With Amy Brodkey, MD
From Medscape Psychiatry and Mental Health, December 12, 2009, by Pippa Wysong
“Medicine is fraught with questions relating to the ethics of relationships between physicians and industry. Should doctors accept gifts from industry, and does it matter if it’s something small like a pen or free lunch? At what point can interactions with industry representatives become a conflict of interest or influence practice? Is it ethical to give patients free drug samples? These and other questions were posed to Amy Brodkey, MD, an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied the relationship between physicians, industry representatives, and conflict of interest. She is also on the board of No Free Lunch, a nonprofit organization encouraging greater distance between physicians and industry……………..”
Read More:
Add comment December 15, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 7, 2009
Here us a Blog that takes into consideration what is actually going on in our field. A refreshing change from some of the blabber we see about CME in the news and on the blogs.
The CME Improvement Process
Hopkins CME Blog December 7, 2009
“In the October 28, 2009 edition of JAMA, an editorial appeared by Eric Campbell and Meredith Rosenthal entitled, “Reform of continuing medical education: Investments in physician human capital”. Unfortunately these authors seemingly ignored the entire CME improvement process that is already in place in this country. Academic CME in particular has examined itself, has begun an improvement project of its own and has undergone a profound sea change well in advance of this publication…..”
Add comment December 8, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 7, 2009
Grassley letter to AAFP
Today (12/07/2009), the American Academy of Family Physicians received a letter from Senator Grassley asking a series of questions about whether pharmaceutical companies were paying for any continuing medical education events. The letter continues the efforts of the Finance Committee in investigating this practice. It has been a bipartisan effort, which began while Republicans were in the majority.
Listen up. There may be other letters to specialty societies I haven’t heard about.
Institute of Medicine: Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Professions
Policy and Medicine, December 7th 2009
“The Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report titled Redesigning Continuing Education in the Health Profession. This is the outcome of the IOM Planning a Continuing Health Professional Education Institute which was funded by the Josiah Macy Foundation.
The report consisted of a 12 month study, 3 face-to-face meetings, 2 public workshops with 17 speakers, an “extensive literature review,” and 16 external reviewers. ….
The report states that the purpose of CE is to enable health professionals to keep their knowledge and skills up to date, with the ultimate goal of improving performance and patient outcomes. Consequently, the report suggests that there are major flaws in the way CE is conducted, financed, regulated, and evaluated……….”
Read More:
Add comment December 8, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs December 3, 2009
No Free Lunch for Doctors, Brought to You By Jersey’s AG
WSJ Health Blog, December 3, 2009
“The push to clamp down on the relationship between doctors and drug and device companies came to New Jersey today. A report from the attorney general’s office there called for state agencies to create a bunch of new rules……………” Read what the rules would do:
Add comment December 5, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs Week of November 29th, 2009
More pieces this week on the endless babble focusing on the involvement of industry in CME. One must think that this is the only issue of any importance to the field. And, if you like following this issue you are going to love the fire storm caused by Pfizer Canada and the Canadian Medical Association. The issue does give people of opposing views and opportunity to vent. Perhaps this venting is therapeutic. There is even one entry on the pro side of the issue in this post.
Medical Education Companies, Commercial Support and Transparency
Policy and Medicine November 29th, 2009
“Continuing Medical Education (CME) Companies have recently been targeted as being opposed to transparency in continuing medical education funding. Let me set the record straight: This is simply not true……………..”
Authors Note: Oh my. Tell me it isn’t so. Look at this next entry. A medical group is collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry to provide continuing education? Critics of industry involvement in CME should have a heyday with this one.
The Canadian Medical Association and Pfizer Canada collaborate on first-of-its kind education program for physicians
CNW, OTTAWA, Dec. 1, 2009
‘The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Pfizer Canada are pleased to announce collaboration for a new online Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians across the country.
This collaboration between the CMA and Pfizer is based on a shared belief that evidence-based continuing medical education, including online learning, improves the quality of health care in Canada by enhancing physician clinical decision-making, resulting in improved patient outcomes. The collaboration also aims to focus on current education gaps and neglected topics that are of importance to physicians today, while addressing physician concerns about the accessibility of accredited courses……………”
Authors Note: I knew it. The program mentioned above is taking some intense heat. Just Google or Bing “Pfizer Canada and CMA” to see the torrent of articles and Blogs criticizing this effort.
Reflections on Industry-Supported-Continuing-Medical Educational Activities for Cardiac Electrophysiology Trainees
Policy and Medicine, December 2, 2009
“In response to the “torrent of recent literature decrying the role of industry support for postgraduate medical education,” Melvin M. Scheinman, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco, wrote an editorial in the Journal Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology highlighting the importance of industry-supported continuing medical education (CME) from the perspective of cardiac electriophysiology trainees.
Reflections on Industry-Supported-Continuing-Medical Educational Activities for Cardiac Electrophysiology Trainees examines the recent “guidelines instituted to regulate industrial funding of medical education” by first discussing the roles of professional societies who have addressed the issue of industry support of CME: the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC); Accreditation Counsel of CME (ACCME), as well as the Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs (CEJA) of the American Medical Association (AMA)…………….”
Add comment December 4, 2009
CME in the News and on the Blogs September 23rd- 27th, 2009
ACCME Board to Consider Disclosure Policy at December Meeting
MeetingsNet Nov 24, 2009
“ACCME board of directors to discuss increasing transparency around its complaints and inquiries process.
The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education’s board of directors will discuss making changes to its process for handling complaints and inquiries about accredited providers at its meeting December 3-4. According to ACCME’s chief executive, Murray Kopelow, MD, “the board is considering the full range of issues involved for both the accreditor and the CME provider” once a complaint has been filed that a provider is not in compliance with the ACCME’s 2006 Accreditation Criteria. This includes whether or not to make public certain information about activities and providers who have been found to be noncompliant. This information currently is released only to the complainant and the provider charged with noncompliance.”
(Authors Note: It is not only the US that is grappling with the issue of industry relationships with health professionals. Here is an article from our colleagues in Australia.)
Mandatory Disclosure of Pharmaceutical Industry-Funded Events for Health Professionals
Robertson J, Moynihan R, Walkom E, Bero L, Henry D (2009) PLoS Med 6(11): e1000128. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000128
Summary Points
• There are moves internationally to ensure greater disclosure of gifts and educational events for doctors paid for by pharmaceutical manufacturers. However, there is no agreement on appropriate standards of disclosure. In Australia, since mid-2007, there has been mandatory reporting of details of every industry-sponsored event, including the costs of any hospitality provided.
• Examination of the Australian data shows that although expenditure at individual events is often modest, cumulative expenditure is high, particularly in the case of medical specialists prescribing high cost drugs—oncologists, endocrinologists, and cardiologists.
• Although a significant advance, the new Australian reporting standards do not allow assessment of the educational value of sponsored events, and do not include details of speakers or educational content for most events. However, doctors in training are often present at these events.
• At present, the standards of disclosure are inadequate and should not be tied to an arbitrary monetary value of gifts or sponsorship. Reporting standards should require the names of the speakers presenting, whether sponsors played a role in suggestion or selection of speakers or the development of the content of presentations, and the nature of any direct or indirect financial ties between the speakers and the sponsors.
A useful resource for those investigating the pharma industry
Croakey the Crikey HealthBlog, November 27th , 2009
“The Drug Industry Document Archive contains over 2500 documents about pharmaceutical industry clinical trials, publication of study results, pricing, marketing, relations with physicians and involvement in continuing medical education. It is a publically accessible web site hosted by the University of California, San Francisco Library and Center for Knowledge Management
Most of these previously secret documents were made public as a result of lawsuits against the following pharmaceutical companies: Merck & Co., Parke-Davis, Warner-Lambert, Wyeth, and Pfizer………………….”
Add comment November 28, 2009
