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………”

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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……”

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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:

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……”

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CME in the News and on the Blogs December 17th, 2009

Note: This is getting ridiculous.

DC City Council Holds Hearings on Area Physicians Relationships with Industry

Policy and Medicine, December 17^th, 2009

“The District of Columbia City Council Committee on Health last month held a hearing regarding various health care related issues.   Included in the hearing was “charges” read out by Health Committee Chairman David A. Catania.  These included reading the names of physicians (top researchers in the district) along with information on their relationships with industry credited as provided by a specific member of US Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) staff.

The meeting gives us a glimpse into the current state of “transparency” where at one point Mr. Catania reads off “charges” against six area physicians who’s crimes are that they worked for industry.  This included sending subpoenas to all six physicians to show up a hearing on December 19, 2009.  He also provided warnings to local universities and hospitals that they should adopt to severe conflict of interest restrictions or face the consequences. ……..”

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