Committed to Upholding the Highest Ethical Values
Physicians, medical societies, CME providers, and industry are all under increasing scrutiny by government and the media to weed out conflicts of interest (COI) in all aspects of medical delivery, education, and purchasing. The new CMS “Open Payments” system is just one example of exposing conflicts of interest between physicians and industry to patients and the public. Likewise, medical associations must also weed out conflicts of interest in their own governance.
The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) is committed to upholding the highest ethical values and to encourage professional and principled behavior by its volunteer leaders, authors, speakers, and staff. ACFAS has been proactive in ensuring that conflict of interests in governance, clinical papers, or education presentations are avoided, or at the very least, fully disclosed. No other podiatric organization or CME provider has been as proactive in this endeavor as ACFAS.
ACFAS Policies and Procedures in This Arena
Conflict of Interest Policies and Disclosure Form for Volunteer Leaders
Required for all Board, committee, and task force volunteers.
Code for Interactive Companies
Applicable to the Board of Directors and some committees.
Duality of Interest Policy
Applicable to the Board of Directors and committee chairs.
Conflict of Interest Complaints
Members may file conflict of interest complaints based on their observation of member behaviors, speaking, writing, etc.
If you have any related comments or questions, please contact the ACFAS Chief Executive Officer confidentially at conflicts@acfas.org.