Commercial Support

Preamble/ Exhibits and promotion /Commercially organised satellite sessions and social events/ Disclosure

Extracted from Guidelines for Commercial Support (PDF; 158KB)

Preamble

The European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC) recognizes the important contribution of the healthcare industry to continuing medical education (CME). In recent years, however, the impact of promotional information on the content of CME activities has received increasing attention.

EBAC believes that it is necessary to adopt a principled but balanced approach that will guarantee unbiased CME as well as promote and enhance cooperation with the healthcare industry for the benefit of physicians, and in turn their patients.

Although the objective of EBAC is to preserve the integrity of the medical profession in relation to CME and Continuing Professional Development (CPD), it also recognizes the rights of the pharmaceutical and equipment/device industries as business entities to represent their own interests. EBAC wishes to avoid conflicts of interest between the medical profession and the industry.

EBAC believes in the ethical conduct of those involved in organizing medical education, and the following guidelines are meant to be a formal expression of the principles already well known to and accepted by the above mentioned parties.

Exhibits and promotion

When commercial exhibits are part of the CME activity, arrangements for the commercial exhibition shall not influence planning or interfere with the presentation of the CME activity.

No promotional activities should be held in the CME course room. The only form of promotion permitted is the acknowledgement that the company has contributed to the educational programme by way of a grant.

Commercially organised satellite sessions and social events

The accredited CME event/activity should be clearly distinguished from commercially organized sessions, known as "satellite sessions".

These and accompanying social events should not compete with, nor take precedence over, the accredited CME sessions.

Disclosure

Speakers have to disclose existing financial arrangements with the commercial company contributing to the CME event.
The Disclosure Form has to be signed by Speakers and Organizing/Scientific Committee members, be archived by the Provider, and shown to EBAC monitors on request (the form can be downloaded from the EBAC website).