Presentation Guidelines

As an accredited provider of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the University of Michigan Medical School must ensure that CME programs meet all requirements while maintaining the highest standards and expectations of it’s audience.

Below are lists of presentation guidelines to help you develop the highest quality educational content and materials.

Scientific Integrity

Individuals giving presentations at CME activities should follow these guidelines so that materials are evidence-based, objective, and balanced:

• Presentations must be free of commercial bias for or against any product.
• Presentations must give a balanced view of therapeutic options. Use of generic names will contribute to this impartiality. If trade names are used, those of several companies should be used rather than only that of a single company.
• Presentations that include commercial products must present objective information about those products, based on scientific methods generally accepted in the medical community.
• Information presented must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection and analysis.
• If unapproved uses of a product or service are discussed, inform the audience.

Financial Relationship Mitigation

All CME presenters:

• Should be familiar with the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education
• Must identify financial relationships with ineligible companies whose products/services may be addressed during the activity.
• Must share information regarding relevant relationships with participants before the activity begins.

Slides & Handouts

• Educational material (slides, abstracts, handouts, etc.) cannot include an ineligible company or product logos.
• Identifiable photographs of patients should not be used. Remove all patient identifiers from laboratory studies, x-rays, etc.
• Limit the amount of information on each slide. Small font sizes and too much information on any one slide make duplication difficult.
• Slides should be printed in black and white with the background removed for readability. Do not print more than 3-6 slides per page.
• Copyright guidelines should be observed for all educational materials. Many images and charts can be used for educational purposes with suitable approval and attribution.

CME Credit for Presenters

Faculty may receive credit for preparing and presenting an original presentation at a live activity that has been certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.™ Credit cannot be awarded for repeat presentations of the same material, nor can it be simultaneously earned as both a presenter and a learner. It is the responsibility of the physician to claim credit, as appropriate, using the Direct Credit Application provided by the AMA.