Sponsorship of Healthcare
Professionals by Medical
Device Companies
healthcare professionals is consistent
with the code published by the Advanced
Medical Technology Association
(AdvaMed), MedTech Europe's U.S.
counterpart. In the U.S., healthcare
professionals attending medical
conferences as attendees or listeners have
not been directly sponsored by medical
companies for over 20 years.
In continental Europe and the
United Kingdom, direct sponsorship
of healthcare professionals is currently
generally permitted, subject to the
limitations set forth in each of the
applicable legislations, and subject also
to the rules and recommendations issued
by local representative associations.
conferences held throughout Europe that
medical technology companies sponsor
healthcare professionals by directly
paying conference fees, travel, food and
entertainment.
There has been much debate on
whether the banning of this practice could
negatively impact not only the way in
which medical companies do business
in Europe, but also continuing medical
education and patient care.
Some of the principal arguments made
against the ban include that continuing
medical education, and particularly,
attendance to larger congresses, will be
made far more difficult with the new grant
system.
In November 2015, shortly before
the publication of the Revised MedTech
Code, several European leading
interventional cardiologists urged for a
postponement of the ban to 2019 on the
basis that it would negatively impact the
future of medical continued education,
possibly reducing conference attendance
by 30 to 50 percent.
educational conferences that offer strong
scientific programs and are held in
appropriate locations will continue to
attract healthcare professionals and obtain
support from the industry via educational
grants.
In similar terms, many healthcare
professionals, medical associations and
advocacy groups have welcomed the ban
of direct sponsorship.
In December 2015, Larry Husten,
editor of CardioBrief, a source for
information about cardiovascular
medicine, argued that "[...] this possible
decline [in attendance] might be a sign
that industry funding for the routine
activities of medical education might
be unseemly and even unhealthy. If
the industry stranglehold on European
doctors is the only thing propping up
medical meetings then it might be a good
idea to reconsider the entire underlying
relationship of industry and medicine, not
just the direct sponsorship of physicians
to attend medical meetings."
who are in favor of the ban have pointed
out that the new grant system offers
greater transparency and will benefit
younger, less experienced professionals at
lower levels of hospital hierarchies who do
not make purchase decisions, and are not
being invited to conferences.
Party Medical Congresses in
Europe?
a professor of medicine at Stanford
University, in a resonant article published
in the American Journal of Medicine,
predicted the extinction of many of the
world's current third-party organized
medical conferences. "In theory, these
meetings aim to disseminate and advance
research, train, educate and set evidence
policy. Although these are worthy
goals, there is virtually no evidence
supporting the utility of most conferences.
suggests that medical congresses may
serve a specific system of questionable
value that may be harmful to medicine
and healthcare."
increasing number of medical congresses
have entirely forfeited the financing of
the medical industry. Most of them are
smaller in scope (with fewer attendees
and a shorter duration), are often local
or regional, offer little social content,
encourage high levels of participation
and networking of attendees, use the
latest technology as an important tool
for teaching how medical devices work,
and offer more economic fees. They are
typically financed with the fees paid
directly by attendees. In some cases,
public health institutions may contribute
funds or cede a location in which to hold
the event.
Without a doubt, important changes
will take place throughout the next years
in Europe's medical technology industry.
In his article, Ioannidis wrote: "Are
medical congresses dinosaurs doomed to
become extinct? The future will tell."
EDMA (representing the European in vitro diagnostic
industry), and EUCOMED (representing the European
medical devices industry).
3 In Spain, direct sponsorship of healthcare professionals
and limitations set forth in the FENIN Ethics Code,
first published in 2005, revised in 2009, and again on
December 2016, to incorporate the changes brought
about by the Revised MedTech Code. FENIN, founded
in 1977, represents over 500 companies dedicated to
the manufacture and distribution of medical technology,
equal to 80% of Spanish medical technology
companies.
that will Definitely Influence our Profession and
Continuing Medical Education. Eurointervention,
November 20, 2015.
Meetings. cardiobrief.org/2015/12/03/prominent-
european-cardiologists-decry-curbs-on-industry-
support-for-docs-attending-medical-meetings/
jama.2012.360