The European landscape for continuing medical education (CME) is diverse and complex. The absence of a common framework across the region has led to individual countries developing their own national objectives and building a range of systems, each at differing stages of advancement. While similarities in approach exist, the key European markets demonstrate notable differences in both style and in how CME is being implemented. Nevertheless, a widespread appetite for collaboration and sharing best practice is driving European CME forward.

Despite such a fragmented and disparate environment, efforts to develop a recognised system for CME accreditation across Europe and to establish a harmonisation of credits and practices are progressing. Definitions of CME remain subjective and discussions continue as to whether it should just address levels of knowledge and competence, or go further and have a positive effect on clinical performance. Determining which activities actually constitute CME is similarly challenging: activities such as e-learning promise to provide the engine for CME in the future, whereas the accreditation of satellite symposia remains contentious. Meanwhile, traditional activities such as conferences and workshops continue to dominate.

In such an evolving climate, two central issues for CME development in Europe resonate loudly: the quality of programmes and the impact they have on clinical practice. Stakeholders remain determined to ensure that education is not only free from commercial bias but that it also promotes participation that leads to better clinical outcomes.

This Conference Insights report provides an in-depth review of the first annual meeting of the European CME Forum held in London, UK on 4-5 November 2008. It examines the development of CME activity across Europe, providing perspectives from the full range of stakeholders: healthcare professionals, medical societies, pharmaceutical companies, medical communications agencies and CME accreditation bodies. It explores the need to set quality standards in European CME, and to achieve harmonisation across the region. It shares implementation strategies and assesses how best to measure their success. It also looks at the critical aspect of funding, providing a basis for guidelines on how to manage conflicts of interest, avoid commercial bias and, crucially, raise standards. Clearly, maintaining a balanced relationship between healthcare professionals, CME organisations and the pharmaceutical industry remains pivotal to the future of CME.

The aim of the first meeting of the European CME Forum was to bring together all the stakeholders of European continuing medical education (CME), examine the current picture of CME (specifically in Europe), promote dialogue between the various parties involved and review the issues affecting its development. This included representation from the CME accreditation bodies, European medical societies and other healthcare professionals, members from the pharmaceutical industry and the service sector: the agencies included a few organisations that describe themselves as CME providers, as well as publishers, medical communications and public relations agencies.
The audience was overwhelmingly European, with a few delegates travelling from the USA and Canada, and one from Singapore.
The meeting took place over 2 days and was structured so that it addressed the widest scope of topics that touch on European CME. Each day followed the overall structure of theory - practice - application, with presentations covering the accreditation process (including regulatory and approval issues), how CME is viewed and used by the healthcare professionals themselves and, lastly, a review of several examples of educational activities that had been accredited for CME in Europe.
European CME Forum: First Annual Meeting Programme
Introduction
About the author
Developing the meeting programme
National CME
European Specialty Accreditation Boards
European Accreditation Council for CME
CME in practice
UK CPD supported by the pharmaceutical industry: the practical interface
The view from pharma
CME experience: the learners
CME case studies
Conclusion
References
Further reading/online resources
About The Author
- Eugene Pozniak is Programme Director of the European CME Forum and also Managing Director of Siyemi Learning, an independent European CME provider. He has worked in the medical sector for 20 years. Following a degree in chemistry, he initially worked across various functions in marketing and medical communications. Since 2000, he has been working exclusively in CME.
- As well as managing CME-accredited meetings, Eugene developed the first pan-European CME-accredited e-learning (launched in 2002), national CME-accredited portals and has been working on European journal CME. In addition, he has developed a number of bespoke CME and non-CME-non-promotional' projects. Eugene has experience of CME across Europe, the USA, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
- In 2006, Eugene founded Siyemi Learning, an independent provider of CME programmes and related services; he also supports the European CME-CPD Academy, an independent platform for accredited e-learning in Europe.
Programme
Session 1: CME today
- The current status of CME in Germany
- Dr Jrg Ansorg CEO, Professional Board of Surgeons, Germany
- The changing picture of CME in Italy
- Dr Alfonso Negri Committee Member Italian Federation of Medical Societies - FISM, Secretary General of The Rome CME/CPD Group
- Where are we now with CME in France?
- Dr Bernard Ortolan President, National Council for Independent Physician CME, France
- Developments in CME in Spain
- Dr Hlios Pardell Director, Spanish Accreditation Council for CME, Executive Secretary of the Catalan Council for CME
- Presented on the day by Juan de la Fuente
- How CPD can support revalidation for GPs
- Prof. Nigel Sparrow Chairman, Professional Development Board, Royal College of General Practitioners, UK
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in secondary care
- Dr Alistair Thomson Chair, Directors of CPD Subcommittee (DOCPD), Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, UK
- Continuing Medical Education in the United States
- Lawrence Sherman FACME CCMEP President and CEO, The Physicians Academy for Clinical and Management Excellence, USA
Session 2: CME theory and practice - key considerations in promoting CME best practice
- The accreditation of e-learning materials by the EACCME
- Dr Edwin Borman Chair of UEMS Working Group on CME/CPD
- ECCO: addressing educational needs in European oncology
- Michel Ballieu CEO, European CanCer Organisation
- CME and CPD in Europe: present structures and future developments - the view from neurology and neurooncology
- Prof. Dr Wolfgang Grisold EANO board member, Chairman UEMS oncology board and section, Vice Chair of WFN education committee, member of ECCO education committee, ACOE, and past chairman of EFNS education committee
- The ESMO CME programme
- Dr Svetlana Jezdic ESMO Head Office Medical Oncologist
- Note: Dr Jezdic was unable to make this presentation on the day.
- Setting quality standards in European CME
- Dr Alfonso Negri Committee Member Italian Federation of Medical Societies - FISM, Secretary General of The Rome CME/CPD Group
- How CPD can improve practice
- Prof. Nigel Sparrow Chairman, Professional Development Board, Royal College of General Practitioners, UK
- The e-learning experience of the Professional Board of German Surgeons
- Dr Jrg Ansorg CEO, Professional Board of Surgeons, Germany
Session 3: CME experience - planning and implementing a CME programme
- Clinical management of ICU patients at risk of Candida infection
- Lawrence Sherman FACME CCMEP President and CEO, The Physicians Academy for Clinical and Management Excellence, USA
- Cliff Wyatt Director, Healthcare 21, UK
Session 4: Supporting CME today - the picture in the UK and across Europe
- UK CPD supported by the pharmaceutical industry: the practical interface
- Chaired by Dr Edwin Borman Chair of UEMS Working Group on CME/CPD
- Dr Richard Tiner Medical Director, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
- Dr Ian Starke Director of CPD, Royal Colleges of Physicians
- Dr Alistair Thomson Chair, Directors of CPD Subcommittee (DOCPD), Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, UK
- univadis - a journey towards more value in eCME
- Dr Thomas Kellner Manager, univadis, Europe, Middle East, Africa & Canada, MSD
- It is all about the patient
- Dr Erin Kingshill Director, Global Medical Education, Eli Lilly and Company
- The role of biomedical industry in post-graduate medical education in Europe, Middle-East & Africa: firewalls or self-regulation
- Vincent Nys Senior Director EMEA Health Care Compliance, Janssen-Cilag EMEA
Session 5: CME theory and practice - speaking a common language across European CME
- The Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe (ACOE)
- Prof. Dieter Hossfeld Chair, Accreditation Council of Oncology in Europe
- Evolutions on the CME-CPD scene in Europe
- Dr Bernard Maillet Secretary General UEMS-EACCME
- The European Accreditation Committee in CNS (EACIC)
- Dr Daniel Souery Scientific Secretary, European Accreditation Council in CNS
- The European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP)
- Prof. Robin Stevenson President, European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology
- European Board for Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC)
- Dr Peter E Polak Chairman, European Board of Accreditation in Cardiology
Session 6: CME experience - delivering CME programmes in Europe today
- Computer based or traditional CME? A comparison of knowledge gain and learning efficiency
- Prof. Dr Peter Henning Director, Institute for Computers in Education, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Germany
- Should pharma be involved in implementing CME?
- Emma Sergeant Managing Director, Ogilvy Healthworld UK
- Education in mental health for primary care doctors
- Juan de la Fuente Director General, Wolters Kluwer Health, Spain
- QUAIME - innovative eLearning world
- Dr Peter Posel CEO, QUAIME, Switzerland
- Two CME accredited satellite symposia at the EASD in Rome, 2008
- Michelle Turner Client Services Director, Wolters Kluwer Health, London
- Best medical education programme - HIV and the body
- Geraldine Reilly Associate Director, International Medical Affairs, Gilead, UK

Pharmaceutical Market Research

European CME Forum: First Annual Meeting

European CME Forum: First Annual Meeting

Contents

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