The American Geriatric 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 to complete a disclosure statement detailing all relevant financial relationships that may produce or may be perceived to produce a conflict of interest. The ACCME defines "relevant" as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the 12-month period preceding the time that the individual is being asked to assume a role controlling content of the CME activity. In keeping with ACCME Guidelines, if a planner, author or faculty member refuses to disclose relevant financial relationships, he/she will be disqualified from being a part of the planning and implementation of the CME activity.
Relevant Financial Relationships
All planners, authors and presenters, and anyone else who is in a position to control the content of an AGS education activity are required to disclose their own and their spouse/partner's financial interest or other relationship:
- with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services; and
- with any commercial supporter(s), and
- when a financial relationship exists, the nature of the relationship. (The financial interest and/or relationship might include such things as grants or research support, employee, consultant, significant shareholder, etc.)
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 commercial interest(s);
- The nature of the relationship the person has with each commercial interest
For an individual with no relevant financial relationships the learners are informed that no relevant financial relationships exist.
Disclosure of Commercial Support for the CME Activity
The AGS discloses to learners the source of all support from commercial interests. This disclosure occurs prior to the start of the educational activity.
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.