Medical Device Link.

Originally Published MX November/December 2005

TOPSPIN

Qualifying a Program for CME Credit

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One of the most important decisions Toshiba America Medical Systems Inc. (Tustin, CA) made when it embarked on the creation of a speakers bureau was the selection of its education provider, the organization that is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide credits for medical education. Once needs- assessment data were compiled, programming to meet these needs was developed, and suitable topics and speakers were identified, this group helped Toshiba create educational objectives, reviewed the presentation outlines and presentations, and made suggestions for changes when the plans fell outside ACCME's guidelines.

Speaker presentations should be submitted at least two to three months prior to the scheduled event. The CME provider reviews all materials, including flyers, biographies, outlines, and final materials. It's important to follow the guidelines provided by the educational provider to make sure that accreditation for events is never in question.

To ensure compliance, Toshiba marketing representatives meet with the sales department and other Toshiba representatives to educate them on appropriate behavior. Because events are educational activities, standard sales activities, such as providing product literature and making sales pitches, are not allowed.

At Toshiba, the company found that once its program was established and its organization understood both the value of the program and what was expected of it, compliance was not an issue.

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