Editorial Addresses European Industry Proposal to Withdraw Direct Sponsorships of Conference Attendees

November 23, 2015—Patrick W. Serruys, MD, Editor-in-Chief of EuroIntervention; William Wijns, MD, Chairman of PCR; and Stephan Windecker, President of EAPCI, the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, announced the expedited publication of their editorial in EuroIntervention, which addresses an upcoming Eucomed vote that will influence sponsorship of continuing medical education (CME). 

Eucomed is an alliance of European medical technology industries representing approximately 25,000 designers, manufacturers, and suppliers of medical technology in Europe. The organization has proposed to all its members that they adhere to a new code of conduct that would provide a controlled framework governing industry sponsorship with the aim to withdraw direct sponsorship for all health care professionals attending conferences and aiming also to limit indirect sponsorship. The proposal will be ratified by a vote on December 2, 2015. The phase-out of direct sponsorship would start on January 1, 2018. 

The editors advised that a plea on behalf of health care professionals seeks postponement of the phase-out to 2019 because there remain many unresolved aspects in the new code.

According to  Dr. Serruys et al, although both the physicians and industry agree that direct sponsorship can be perceived by the public as an issue in creating inappropriate interactions, physicians are concerned that Eucomed´s proposal may significantly impact the future of CME, create major restrictions for smaller meetings, and severely impact larger conferences.

The editorial states that the medical community agrees that high quality CME is essential and therefore the challenge of the future is to develop the right model and funding mechanisms so that health care professionals continue to be invited to present their scientific or clinical output at national and international meetings. Sharing knowledge, skills, and expertise is at the heart of continued medical education and ultimately, is in the best interest of individual patient care, concluded Drs. Serruys, Wijns, and Windecker in the announcement.