There are special requirements for Internet CME because of the nature of the activities:
Activity Location: ACCME-accredited providers may not place their CME activities on a Web site owned or controlled by a commercial interest.
Links to Product Web sites: With clear notification that the learner is leaving the educational Web site, links from the Web site of an ACCME accredited provider to pharmaceutical and device manufacturers’ product Web sites are permitted before or after the educational content of a CME activity, but shall not be embedded in the educational content of a CME activity.
Transmission of information: For CME activities in which the learner participates electronically (e.g., via Internet, CD-ROM, satellite broadcasts), all required ACCME information must be communicated to the learner prior to the learner beginning the CME activity.
Advertising: Advertising of any type is prohibited within the educational content of CME activities on the Internet including, but not limited to, banner ads, subliminal ads, and pop-up window ads. For computer based CME activities, advertisements and promotional materials may not be visible on the screen at the same time as the CME content and not interleafed between computer windows or screens of the CME content.
Hardware/Software Requirements: The accredited provider must indicate, at the start of each Internet CME activity, the hardware and software required for the learner to participate.
Provider Contact Information: The accredited provider must have a mechanism in place for the learner to be able to contact the provider if there are questions about the Internet CME activity.
Policy on Privacy and Confidentiality: The accredited provider must have, adhere to, and inform the learner about its policy on privacy and confidentiality that relates to the CME activities it provides on the Internet.
Copyright: The accredited provider must be able to document that it owns the copyright for, or has received permissions for use of, or is otherwise permitted to use copyrighted materials within a CME activity on the Internet.
Activities that are provided electronically, whether they have live or enduring activities, must comply with all accreditation requirements.
For CME activities in which the learner participates electronically (e.g., via the Internet), all required information specified in the ACCME’s Enduring Materials: Definition and Requirements Policy and the Internet CME Policy must be made accessible to the learner prior to the learner beginning the CME activity. Providers may use tabs, links, "click here" buttons, rollover text, or other electronic means to make this information accessible.
Please note that the required information specified in the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support must be transmitted, not only made accessible, to the learner prior to the learner engaging in the CME activity. The learner should be made to pass through this information prior to engaging in the CME activity. The use of tabs, links, or other electronic means that allow learners to go directly to the CME content and bypass the information are not acceptable methods for complying with Standard for Commercial Support 6.
