Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really a need for a CME Coalition?
- Now more than ever, the need for an organization to represent and promote the interests of CME among the nation’s policymakers is crucial. Whether due to misplaced concerns for potential conflicts of interest, or simply a lack of understanding of the issues, there appears to be a growing level of hostility towards private-sector sponsorship of CME among policymakers on both the federal and state levels. This shift represents a serious threat to the well-established cooperation between health-care innovators and physicians; cooperation that has produced significant benefits in propagating medical advancement.
- At both the federal and state levels, efforts are underway to proscribe the traditional role of private industry in funding the ongoing education medical professionals. Examples include reports by Congress and the Institute on Medicine and a subsequent Congressional hearing, as well as newly introduce legislation and hearings in Maryland and the recent decision of the University of Michigan Medical School to forego CME funds from pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. At the core, most criticism of private-sector support for CME has erroneously presumed that such funding constitutes an inherent conflict of interest and negatively impacts the decisions of health-care providers.
- By pooling the support of academics, practitioners, companies and institutions, the Coalition works to protect CME by educating federal policy makers on issues related to the provision of CME, monitoring state policy initiatives that could adversely impact CME, and advocating for sensible federal and state policies to advance its practice.
