The potential for conflicts of interest exists when an individual has the ability to control or influence the content of an educational activity and has a financial relationship with a commercial interest,* the products or services of which are pertinent to the content of the educational activity. The Nurse Planner is responsible for evaluating the presence or absence of conflicts of interest and resolving any identified actual or potential conflicts of interest during the planning and implementation phases of an educational activity. If the Nurse Planner has an actual or potential conflict of interest, he or she should recuse himself or herself from the role as Nurse Planner for the educational activity.
*Commercial interest, as defined by ANCC, is any entity producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing healthcare goods or services consumed by or used on patients, or an entity that is owned or controlled by an entity that produces, markets, resells, or distributes healthcare goods or services consumed by or used on patients.
Commercial Interest Organizations are ineligible for accreditation.
An organization is NOT a Commercial Interest Organization* if it is:
• A government entity;
• A non-profit (503(c)) organization;
• A provider of clinical services directly to patients, including but not limited to hospitals, health care agencies and independent health care practitioners;
• An entity the sole purpose of which is to improve or support the delivery of health care to patients, including but not limited to providers or developers of electronic health information systems, database systems, and quality improvement systems;
• A non-healthcare related entity whose primary mission is not producing, marketing or selling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients.
• Liability insurance providers
• Health insurance providers
• Group medical practices
• Acute care hospitals (for profit and not for profit)
• Rehabilitation centers (for profit and not for profit)
• Nursing homes (for profit and not for profit)
• Blood banks
• Diagnostic laboratories
(*Reference: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards of Commercial Support, August 2007 (www.accme.org) - ANCC’s definition is intended to ensure compliance with Food and Drug Administration Guidance on Industry-Supported Scientific and Educational Activities and consistency with the ACCME definition)
All individuals who have the ability to control or influence the content of an educational activity must disclose all relevant relationships** with any commercial interest, including but not limited to members of the Planning Committee, speakers, presenters, authors, and/or content reviewers. Relevant relationships must be disclosed to the learners during the time when the relationship is in effect and for 12 months afterward. All information disclosed must be shared with the participants/learners prior to the start of the educational activity.
**Relevant relationships, as defined by ANCC, are relationships with a commercial interest if the products or services of the commercial interest are related to the content of the educational activity.
• Relationships with any commercial interest of the individual’s spouse/partner may be relevant relationships and must be reported, evaluated, and resolved.
• Evidence of a relevant relationship with a commercial interest may include but is not limited to receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria, ownership interest (stock and stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds), grants, contracts, or other financial benefit directly or indirectly from the commercial interest.
• Financial benefits may be associated with employment, management positions, independent contractor relationships, other contractual relationships, consulting, speaking, teaching, membership on an advisory committee or review panel, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received or expected from the commercial interest.