Balancing Industry Influence and Education
David Julian Martin, CAE
Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President
Society of Critical Care Medicine
The government and media continue to focus on perceived problems with relationships among the healthcare industry, healthcare providers and organizations, such as the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), that represent and educate healthcare providers.
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee recently released the results of an inquiry into drug company grants that fund continuing education for medical providers. Senators Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, launched the probe to investigate improper use of educational grants by drug companies amid allegations that grants were being used to reward physicians for prescribing certain drugs and to influence clinical practice guidelines and Medicaid formularies. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and other organizations have issued numerous guidelines to help keep education programs independent of drug company influence. The Society continues to review and refine its policies to provide its members with the best possible and most balanced educational experience. The Society works to keep programs free from perceived or actual bias (commercial and otherwise) as much as possible.
The Finance Committee report suggests that pharmaceutical sponsors may still play too influential a role in some purportedly independent educational programs. The committee found that the oversight of accredited continuing education providers is not sufficient enough to guarantee the required independence.
“Medical education funded by drug companies has to be real education, not a soft sell designed to sway treatment decisions,” said Mr. Baucus. “This report shows some separation between medical education and marketing efforts, but this process still isn’t clean enough. We need to make sure educational grants serve appropriate purposes. Which drugs doctors prescribe for patients and what drugs federal healthcare dollars buy should be made based on accurate scientific information and what is best for that particular patient, not on improper influence from any drug maker.” The full Finance Committee report is online at www.finance.senate.gov.
The Finance Committee will follow up on its findings with participating drug companies and with organizations that have issued guidelines for medical education grants, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, the participating drug companies and the ACCME.
Many continuing education regulations in the healthcare field have been changed because of the increased media and government scrutiny. While SCCM’s policies already were more conservative than required by regulations, the leadership began reevaluating educational policies several years ago by further strengthening the Society’s policies to ensure its programs were designed and presented appropriately. This is an ongoing process, and additional changes to policies and procedures will be made to promote objectivity in programming. The Society must continue to present the latest credible evidence so members may evaluate new technology and research and reconsider prior treatment regimens. Even in this evidence-rich field, science and care practices constantly are debated and questioned. To this end, we must rely on the experts to fill in knowledge gaps and provide guidance; however, these experts often receive industry funding. The Society and other organizations also rely on a certain level of financial support from industry to provide educational opportunities within financial reach of their members.
As you make plans to attend the 37th Critical Care Congress in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, please be aware of these issues and know that the SCCM leadership is working diligently to provide you with the ultimate educational experience. Industry partners will be involved in the Society’s activities, and their roles will be regulated appropriately. Many of your peers serving on SCCM committees have been charged with the important task of providing oversight on these activities. Take the opportunity to consume all of the information presented, understand potential bias on the part of the presenters (both commercial and otherwise), and return home with a balanced perspective on the many issues you face in the intensive care unit. The Society, its members and partners have the same goal: to improve the care of the critically ill and injured. The SCCM leadership and I look forward to seeing you in Hawaii.
