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Publicity Policy

PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING OF PROGRAMS
Promotional material cannot be distributed until the CE activity has been approved by the Continuing Education Committee

CE promotional materials must contain accurate and complete information for potential program participants. Attendees must have access to the following information prior to enrolling in continuing education activities:

  • Educational objectives
  • A description of the target audience and the instructional level of the activity (introductory, intermediate, or advanced)
  • Schedule
  • Cost, including all fees and the refund/cancellation policy
  • Instructor credentials, including relevant professional degree and discipline, current professional position, and expertise in program content
  • The number of CE credits offered for each activity
  • A clear indication of any activities within a program that are not offered for CE credit
  • The following statement MUST be used in all promotional materials such as ads, brochures, and announcements

PUBLICITY POLICY

  1. Publicity must be informative and not misleading. It must include:
    a. The name of the provider prominently identified
    b. The names of any joint providers
    c. The course title
    d. A description of the course content
    e. The educational objectives
    f. A description of teaching methods to be used
    g. The names of any entities providing commercial support
    h. The costs and contact person
    i. The course instructor(s) and their qualifications and any conflicts of interest
    j. Refund and cancellation policies
    k. Location, date, and time for live activities; original release date, review date (if applicable), and expiration date for self-instructional activities.
    l. The recognition status of the provider, through the use of the authorized recognition statement, and, whenever feasible (given space considerations) the use of the ADA CERP logo in conjunction with the authorized statement
    m. The number of credits available using the authorized credit designation statement
  2. For effective presentation and assimilation of course content, the prior level of skill, knowledge, or experience required (or suggested) of participants must be clearly specified in publicity materials.
  3. Publicity on continuing education activities must provide complete and accurate information to the potential audience.
  4. SPS must avoid misleading statements regarding the nature of the activity or the benefits to be derived from participation.
  5. Accurate statements concerning credits for the activity and the provider’s recognition status must be included. SPS must ensure that such statements follow the wording prescribed by the agency granting the credits or recognition so that participants do not misinterpret them.
  6. The terms “accredited,” “accreditation,” “certification” or “endorsed by” must not be used in reference to ADA CERP recognition. SPS must not make statements implying ADA CERP approval or endorsement of individual courses.
  7. Publicity for CDE activities must not conflict with or appear to violate the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.
  8. The attendees’ expectations concerning course content and anticipated learning are based on course publicity. Complete and detailed publicity materials will help ensure that those who want and need the course will attend, and that they will be motivated to learn. Materials containing less than complete and accurate information will almost always result in disappointment and dissatisfaction on the part of all or some attendees.

DISCLOSURE OF COMMERCIAL SUPPORT TO THE CE PROVIDER

The ultimate decision regarding funding arrangements for continuing dental education activities must be the responsibility of the SPS. Continuing dental education activities may be supported by funds received from external sources if such funds are unrestricted. External funding must be disclosed to participants in announcements, brochures or other educational materials, and in the presentation itself.

If SPS accepts support from a commercial company for a CE activity, it must disclose this to the participants of the activity. Disclosure of commercial support may be published in course brochures, program guides, signs, introductory slides, etc. Disclosure must include the name of the company and may include the company logo. Disclosure should not include product names or product group messages.

—EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1.

SPS gratefully acknowledges the generous support of XYZ Company.

EXAMPLE 2.

Support for this activity provided by the XYZ Company.

EXAMPLE 3.

SPS wishes to thank the following companies

for their generous support of this program:

Note: Paid advertising, such as sales of pages in a program book, or display banners, for example, are not considered commercial support. Guidelines for managing advertising in association with CE activities are discussed in

Standard V.3.

Similarly, exhibit booths where companies pay a flat fee to exhibit their products in a booth or a table top display (in a separate space from the CE activity), are not considered commercial support. These should be considered separate advertising or marketing opportunities, and should not influence the planning, content, or presentation of CE activities. Guidelines for managing exhibits are discussed in Standards V.3 and 8.