The American Geriatrics Society strives to ensure that the information presented in its educational activities is balanced and fair and is not distorted by bias or influence. To this end, we require all planners, authors, presenters, and anyone else who is in a position to control the content of an education activity has disclosed to us all financial relationships, regardless of the amount, with ineligible companies within the past 24 months and under which we mitigate relevant financial relationships. In keeping with ACCME Guidelines, if a planner, author or faculty member refuses to disclose their financial relationships, they will be disqualified from being a part of the planning and implementation of the CME activity.
Financial Relationships
Anyone who is in a position to control the content of an AGS education activity is required to disclose all financial relationships they have had in the past 24 months with ineligible companies. Examples of financial relationships include employee, researcher, consultant, advisor, speaker, independent contractor (including contracted research), royalties or patent beneficiary, executive role, and ownership interest. Individual stocks and stock options should be disclosed; diversified mutual funds do not need to be disclosed. Research funding from ineligible companies should be disclosed by the principal or named investigator even if that individual’s institution receives the research grant and manages the funds.
Disclosure to Learners
All faculty disclosures are shared with learners prior to the start of the educational activity, and include the following:
- The name of the individual;
- The name of the ineligible company(ies);
- The nature of the relationship the person has with each ineligible company.
For an individual with no relevant financial relationships the learners are informed that no relevant financial relationships exist.
Individuals Who Refuse to Disclose
In accordance with the ACCME policy, an individual who refuses to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from being a planning committee member, a teacher, or an author of CME, and cannot have control of, or responsibility for, the development, management, presentation or evaluation of the CME activity. A refusal to disclose will automatically disqualify an individual from participation in the activity.