Understanding Faculty Financial Disclosures

Why We Collect Them and Why They Matter

Why Are Financial Disclosures Required?

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) requires accredited CME providers to collect information about financial relationships from individuals who control educational content, including planners, faculty, reviewers, and moderators. These requirements help ensure that CME activities remain independent, evidence-based, and free from commercial bias. [

Simply put:

Financial disclosures help protect the integrity, credibility, and independence of Continuing Medical Education (CME).

What Is a Financial Relationship?

A financial relationship exists when an individual has received compensation or holds a financial interest with a company whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, or distributing healthcare products used on patients. ACCME refers to these organizations as "ineligible companies."

Examples may include:

  • Consulting fees
  • Advisory board participation
  • Speaker bureau activities
  • Research funding
  • Royalties
  • Stock ownership or stock options
  • Employment relationships
  • Patent interests

Why Does ACCME Require Disclosure?

Healthcare professionals are trusted sources of clinical information. ACCME requires transparency regarding financial relationships so that accredited providers can identify and manage any potential influences before educational content is delivered. 

The goal is not to exclude experts from teaching.

The goal is to ensure that educational content:

✅ Is evidence-based

✅ Prioritizes patient care

✅ Reflects scientific validity

✅ Remains free from commercial influence and bias 

Does Having a Financial Relationship Prevent Someone from Speaking?

Not necessarily.

Most disclosed relationships do not prevent a faculty member from participating. Instead, the Office of CME reviews disclosures and determines whether a relationship is relevant to the content being presented. If necessary, mitigation measures are implemented before the activity occurs. 

Examples of mitigation may include:

  • Independent peer review of content
  • Modification of content assignments
  • Recusal from planning decisions
  • Other ACCME-compliant mitigation strategies 

Why Must Faculty Disclose Everything?

ACCME requires individuals to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies from the previous 24 months, regardless of amount or whether they personally believe the relationship is relevant. The responsibility for determining relevance belongs to the accredited CME provider, not the faculty member. 

What Is the RSS Coordinator's Role?

As an RSS Coordinator, you are not expected to evaluate financial relationships or determine whether a conflict exists.

Your responsibilities are to:

  • Add faculty to the CME Portal
  • Monitor disclosure completion
  • Follow up on outstanding disclosures
  • Submit sessions for CME review
  • Ensure disclosures are completed in a timely manner before the session date 

The Office of CME performs all review and conflict-mitigation activities. 

Key Takeaway

Financial disclosures are not intended to prevent participation. They are collected to ensure that CME activities remain independent, transparent, scientifically rigorous, and free from commercial bias. By collecting disclosures early, RSS Coordinators help support ACCME compliance and protect the integrity of the educational activity.