Industry‐Funded Continuing Medical Education: The Potential for Bias

Continuing medical education (CME) is expected to be intellectually rigorous, evidence-based, and free from bias. CME financially supported by industry, however, has the potential to unconsciously bias educators and the leadership of professional medical associations—biases that might unduly influence an attendee's choice of drugs and devices, and thereby ultimately affect patient care ⇓. At present, there are no studies that have examined whether the industry funding of CME affects patient outcomes positively or negatively ⇓. Industry marketing strategies rely heavily on physician education to boost drug sales ⇓. Physicians attending CME conferences supported by industry are more likely to use a sponsoring company's product ⇓. CME conferences provide excellent venues for direct and indirect marketing. Most of the direct marketing occurs in exhibit halls. Physicians might feel that they are resistant to such obvious promotion, but exhibit hall marketing is very useful and profitable for the …