[Is continuing medical education under suspicion of corruption? Contribution to the discussion by the Committee for Quality Preservation of the Swiss Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics].
The requirements laid down by law and by the medical profession itself with regard to continuing medical education have recently been tightened. The cost of good training is high, both in time and money. Sponsoring, especially by the pharmaceutical industry, has helped to keep costs down for individual participants. The question of a tariff system for the payment of compulsory training is now being raised. Rates have been set to ensure that, in the future, indirect costs are covered. In the event of a full tariff-based payment of costs being introduced, various disadvantages could be expected both for participants and the quality of the training. Changes in Swiss criminal law and the new medicines act do not forbid sponsoring, but they do call for rules of professional ethics and of personnel law in public hospitals governing behaviour in respect of funding by sponsors. Various sponsoring models are conceivable with differences in allocation to organizers, individual participants or distribution via a pool system. There are strong arguments in favour of continuing the existing practice of mixed funding by participants and sponsoring, provided that it is subject to certain rules of transparency. What is lacking to date is a political decision on the issue of funding for continuing medical education.
Drack
G
G
Frauenklinik Kantonsspital, St. Gallen, Switzerland. gero.drack@kssg.ch
Kuhn
H P
HP
Haller
U
U
D016265:Conflict of Interest / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003479:Curriculum; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D005381:Financing, Organized / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006176:Gynecology / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000193:education*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013557:Switzerland; D014146:Training Support / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*