Ophthalmic Education:

ICO Continuing Medical Education (CME) Requirements

On this page:

• Requirements
  
  
• I. Standards for commercial support
  
  
• II. Guidelines for assessment of proposed CME activities
  
  
• III. Activities to be considered for CME credits

Requirements

The CME requirements listed below were approved by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) in Amsterdam, June 1998 and reaffirmed by the ICO in January 2003, with the Addendum below.

(The requirements are also available as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. To read it, you will need Adobe Reader, which is a free download.)

The requirements are not intended to interfere with local or national guidelines. Nations that do not have CME programs in place may find these guidelines helpful in establishing formal CME programs.

1. The course or educational materials have a written statement of its educational purpose with specific objectives to be achieved by the participants.
   
   
2. The course or educational materials contain material consistent with achieving those objectives.
   
   
3. The participants in the course evaluate the course or educational materials as to the effectiveness of achieving its overall objectives.
   
   
4. The course producers and presenters are made aware of the evaluation of the course to improve subsequent presentations of the material.
   
   
5. Commercial sponsorship of CME is appropriate, is given without intent of influencing the presentation of the education and is disclosed. The course is organized and delivered independently of the commercial sponsors.
   
   
6. Presenters and authors disclose any financial interest in commercial products they discuss. The ICO adopted the following resolution (Chicago, 1996) concerning "Relations of Ophthalmology and Industry in Preparing Meetings, Workshops and Symposia:"
   
   

   Whereas close cooperation between ophthalmology and industry is essential for the well being and support of such meetings and for the patients served by the scientific evidence presented at such meetings, and

   Whereas congress organizers are deeply appreciative and dependent upon the support received from industry, and

   Whereas industry support should be appropriately and openly credited, and

   Whereas there is a need to establish a clear division between scientific evidence and organizational support, therefore;

   Be it resolved that congress organizers clearly define a division of labor in the invitation and selection of speakers to support independent clinical ophthalmic review and scientific evidence in the selection of speakers as opposed to individuals representing the business interests of supporting organizations.

Addendum to CME Requirements

I. Standards for commercial support

The following rules should be applied when continuing medical education is sponsored by a commercial organization. (Based on the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Medical Association guidelines.)

1. The organizer of the CME activities is responsible for the scientific integrity of the activities certified for credit.
   
   
2. The organizer is responsible for the choice of the topics and of the faculty as well as for their evaluation.
   
   
3. The representatives of the sponsoring commercial organization should not interfere with the choice of moderators, lecturers or other faculty, nor in the choice or content of the topics.
   
   
4. Sponsorship by a commercial organization must be acknowledged.
   
   
5. The sponsoring commercial organization will not use the CME activities to engage in sales activities.
   
   
6. Proprietary interests of the organizers, or of a member of the faculty of CME activities should be disclosed.
   
   
7. The CME activity must be free of commercial bias for or against any product.
   
   
8. It is appropriate for faculty of CME activities to accept reasonable honoraria and reimbursement for reasonable travel, lodging and meal expenses.
   
   
9. The organizer of a CME activity may also ask help from the sponsoring commercial organization in preparation of educational material, in the planning and in the marketing of this activity. However, the information must identify the CME activity as produced by the responsible organizer. When commercial exhibits are part of the overall program, arrangements for these should not influence planning or interfere with the presentation of CME activities.
   
   
10. Commercially supported social events of CME activities should not compete, nor take precedence over educational events.
    
    
11. Following the CME activity, upon request, the organizer should be prepared to report to the commercial supporter, the accrediting committee or other relevant bodies, information concerning the expenditures of funds provided.

II. Guidelines for assessment of proposed CME activities

The following questions are suggested by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists to coordinators of CME activities, to help to arrive at a decision as to whether or not a proposed educational event should be approved for CME purposes.

1. What are the educational objectives of the proposed events?
   
   
2. Is there a clear educational need for such CME activity?
   
   
3. Are the location, timing and duration of the proposed meeting appropriate?
   
   
4. Is the proposed meeting likely to meet the educational needs of the intended audience?
   
   
5. Are the content and learning methods of the meeting appropriate to the educational objectives?
   
   
6. Is the proposed meeting free of undesirable commercial influence?
   
   
7. Are the proposed teachers appropriate?
   
   
8. Is any evaluation of the relevance of the program, its quality and effectiveness included in the proposed activity?

III. Activities to be considered for CME credits

1. Internal activities: lectures, journal clubs, case conferences, audit meetings
   
   
2. Meetings (local, regional, national, international, abroad)
   
   
3. Postgraduate teaching and training
   
   
4. Contribution to meetings, publications in peer reviewed journals and textbooks including editorial and referee work
   
   
5. Acting as examiner for Board examination
   
   
6. Visits to other units for the purpose of learning new techniques
   

Next: International Congresses of Ophthalmology

Also see: ICO Ophthalmic Education Programs