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Developing an instrument to measure bias in CME
Jatinder Takhar1, Dave Dixon, Jill Donahue
1Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.
Summary
A new tool effectively measures bias in continuing medical education (CME), revealing that unbalanced data and lack of evidence-based integration strongly correlate with bias. This aids in ensuring unbiased medical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education Research
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- The pharmaceutical industry heavily influences continuing medical education (CME) in the US and Canada.
- Concerns exist regarding potential bias in industry-funded CME programs.
- A validated tool to measure bias in CME is currently lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a tool for identifying and quantifying bias in continuing medical education.
- To assess the reliability and internal consistency of the developed bias measurement tool.
Main Methods:
- A collaborative effort between industry and academic representatives.
- Development of a 14-statement rating scale (1-4) to evaluate CME events.
- Evaluation of 17 live CME events using the developed tool.
- Assessment of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha.
Main Results:
- The tool demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.82).
- Biased data presentation and lack of evidence-based integration strongly correlated with higher bias scores.
- Use of trade names showed minimal correlation, while non-declaration of conflicts of interest negatively correlated with bias.
Conclusions:
- The developed tool can effectively raise awareness and measure bias in CME.
- Policymakers can utilize this tool to enforce educational standards.
- CME providers can use the tool for quality assurance audits.
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