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ASHG 2020 Virtual Meeting, October 27-30

Stop and Read Before Proceeding

If you are applying for credits for the sessions you watched online during the live virtual meeting (October 27-30), please know that you do not have to take individual test assessments. You should have received an email on November 13th about the new system for claiming live credits (for Oct 27 – 30).

If you are also applying for credits for on-demand sessions (these include workshops and any sessions you did not watch during the week of October 27-30), you are required to complete the assessments and should proceed to complete the application below.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.

*Please note: Credit can only be claimed per session (1.5) not per talk (.25).

For Step-by-Step Instructions click the appropriate link below:

• CME credit AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™:
  • https://www.ashg.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CME_PDF.pdf
• NSGC CEU credit for Genetic Counselors:
  • https://www.ashg.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/CEU-PDF.pdf
• P.A.C.E.® CEUs for Laboratory Directors:
  • https://www.ashg.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/PACE_PDF.pdf
  • The deadline to apply for LIVE PACE credits is Monday, November 30th if you would like to receive your certificate this year. If you would like to receive a certificate next year you can apply for Live credit until March 27, 2021. You can apply for On-Demand credit until August 16, 2021.

For more information regarding Live (other) credit please click here.

Instructions on How to Claim Credit

Applications are Open Now!

• • REMINDER: The login for the CME/CEU platform is not the same as your Annual Meeting/Virtual Meeting. Please use your ASHG portal credentials. To confirm your login, you can select “Sign In” and follow the instructions there.
  • NOTE: Please ensure you take note of the session title and number.  The application to apply for credits is available now.
  • EVALUATE: After the conference, you should have received an email with a link and instructions on how to complete the necessary information, including taking a short quiz/assessment for each session, completing a session evaluation and/or an overall conference evaluation (NSGC credit only).
  • DOWNLOAD AND PRINT: After you’ve completed the necessary information (Quiz, survey, and/or conference evaluation (NSGC only)) simply download and print your Certificate.
  • IMPORTANT: All surveys must be completed no later than November 30, 2020. After this date, you will NOT be issued a Continuing Education Certificate until next year. Your email address that you provided when you registered is what identifies you in this system. If you would like to verify the email address on file, please review your ASHG Membership information.

*Sessions Eligible for Credit from ASHG: • Plenary Sessions • Platform Sessions • Workshops • Presidential Address • Invited Sessions (no partial credit is provided this year)

You can view CME/CEU approved sessions in the online schedule

CME/CEU credits are an additional $50 per credit type. Beginning October 31, you can purchase CME/CEU credits here if you have a meeting registration. You will receive an email post-meeting to apply for the credits; you will not receive credits unless you complete the post-meeting application.

ASHG OnDemand Meeting 2020
Date of Release: October 27, 2020
Expiration Date for Claiming Education Credits (CME, NSGC, P.A.C.E.®): August 16, 2021 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time
Estimate Time of Completion: Maximum of 72.5 hours
Course must be completed by the expiration date.
https://www.ashg.org/meetings/2020meeting/ 

Education Credits and Fees

If not purchased during registration, this fee can be paid by visiting the page for the CE credit type you wish to purchase.  Please use your regular ASHG website credentials to sign in on that above site, and not your virtual meeting login information.

The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) Annual Meeting is a forum for the education of physicians in the field of genetics. By attending invited sessions, interactive workshops, and plenary and platform presentations physicians will receive both a broad overview of the field and information about the most recent, detailed research on the topic of the session. By attending any of the virtual (other) or on demand (enduring) activities, physicians will better understand the basic science that underlies clinical practice.

Statement of Need

It is important that physicians comprehend the basic science that underlies clinical medicine. The American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting is the premier venue for this educational opportunity. Physicians, genetic counselors, laboratory geneticists, and clinical geneticists learn about the most up-to-date, cutting-edge discoveries regarding genetics.

Target Audience

This meeting is targeted to research scientists, clinical and laboratory practitioners, and others interested in the field of human genetics. The program is varied so that participants may select from several concurrent sessions, those that fit their specialized research interests and clinical practice applications.

ASHG Annual Meeting attendees include:

• Scientists/Researchers
• Laboratory geneticists, directors, technicians, and technologists
• Educators
• Medical and clinical geneticists
• Physicians of all specialties with an interest in genetics, genomics, and the genetic basis of disease
• Genetic counselors
• Nurses
• Biotechnology and pharmaceutical development professionals
• Fellows, trainees, and students

Agenda

72.50

Learning Objectives

• Describe the latest advances in the field of human genetics and genomics research.
• Illustrate novel genetic findings from large population and clinical cohorts.
• Describe computational modeling approaches for analysis of large genomic datasets to gain new functional insights.
• Identify cutting edge pharmacogenetic research in racially/ethnically diverse populations.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of disease modeling for understanding the genetic basis of disease.
• Contrast the methods used to identify rare and common variants that predispose to cancer.
• Indicate strategies for identifying molecular consequences of genetic variants.
• Describe current and emerging technologies for studying genetic and genomic variation.
• Demonstrate analytical approaches and tools for extracting novel biological information from genome sequencing in population cohorts.
• Highlight challenges and opportunities in the functional annotation of loci associated with cardiovascular diseases.
• Examine the impact of limited population diversity genomic studies on health disparities.
• Understand the history and scope of GINA including its limitations and levels of protections.

Presenters

To see the session presenters, please visit the online program planner. To view a list of speaker/moderator disclosures click here.

ASHG CME Policies and Procedure

As a joint provider with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the American Society of Human Genetics plans and implements all of its educational activities in accordance with the ACCME Essentials and Areas and ACCME® Policies to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor. In accordance with the ACCME® Standards for Commercial Support, everyone (speakers, moderators, platform presenters, all authors, committee members, and staff) who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is required to disclose all financial relationships with any commercial interests (see definition below) within the past 12 months that creates a real or apparent conflict of interest. Individuals who do not disclose are disqualified from participating in a CME activity.

Individuals with potential for influence or control of CME content include:

• planners, planning committee members, staff
• authors
• others who participate, e.g., facilitators and moderators

This disclosure pertains to relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or other corporations whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the presentation topic. Any real or apparent conflicts of interest related to the content of the presentations must be resolved prior to the educational activity. Disclosure of off-label, experimental or investigational use of drugs or devices must also be made known to the audience.

ASHG’s Policy and Procedure for Identifying and Resolving Conflict of Interest for CME Educational Activities

The ACCME Standards of Commercial Support (SCS) describe six Standards: (1) independence (2) resolution of personal conflicts of interest (3) appropriate use of commercial support (4) appropriate management of associated commercial promotion (5) content and format without commercial bias and (6) disclosures relevant to potential commercial bias. These updated Standards underscore continued voluntary self-regulation by the CME community, ensuring that physicians have opportunities to engage in commercially unbiased life-long learning facilitated by accredited providers. The purpose of this policy is twofold: [1] to establish guidelines and a mechanism for identifying and resolving conflicts of interest in CME educational activities as required in Standard 2 (see below), and [2] to be consistent with ASHG’s policy for resolving conflicts of commitment and interest. Regardless of role, disclosure forms for speakers, moderators, all authors, program committee and staff participating in a CME activity will collected reviewed.

Standard 2: Resolution of Personal Conflicts of Interest in the Standards for Commercial Support requires the following of ACCME accredited providers:

• Documenting that everyone who is in a position to control the content of an education activity has disclosed to the provider all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests in any amount within the past 12 months that creates a conflict of interest. (SCS 2.1)
• Disqualifying individuals who do not disclose from participating in a CME education activity. (SCS 2.2)
• Identifying and resolving all conflicts of interest prior to the education activity. (SCS 2.3)

Terms as Defined by the ACCME:

1. Commercial Interest: Any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical service directly to patients to be commercial interests. A commercial interest is not eligible for ACCME accreditation or participation in joint providership.
2. Conflict of Interest: The ACCME considers financial relationships to create conflicts of interest in CME when individuals have both a financial relationship with a commercial interest and the opportunity to affect the content of CME about the products or services of that commercial interest. The potential for maintaining or increasing the value of the financial relationship with the commercial interest creates an incentive to influence the content of the CME – an incentive to insert commercial bias. See also “relevant financial relationships.”
3. Financial Relationship: The ACCME requires anyone in control of CME content to disclose relevant financial relationships to the accredited provider. Individuals must also include in their disclosure the relevant financial relationships of a spouse or partner. The ACCME defines relevant financial relationships as financial relationships in any amount that create a conflict of interest and that occurred in the twelve-month period preceding the time that the individual was asked to assume a role controlling content of the CME activity. The ACCME has not set a minimal dollar amount – any amount, regardless of how small, creates the incentive to maintain or increase the value of the relationship. Financial relationships are those relationships in which the individual benefits by receiving a salary, royalty, intellectual property rights, consulting fee, honoraria for promotional speakers’ bureau, ownership interest (e.g. stocks, stock options or other ownership interest, excluding diversified mutual funds), or other financial benefit. Financial benefits are usually associated with roles such as employment, management position, independent contractor (including contracted research), consulting speaking and teaching, membership on advisory committees or review panels, board membership, and other activities from which remuneration is received or expected. See also “conflict of interest.”
4. Individuals with potential for influence or control of CME content: Planners and planning committee members, authors, teachers, educational activity director(s), educational partners(s), and others who participate, e.g. facilitators and moderators.

Please note: The ACCME has not a minimum dollar amount for relationships to be significant. Inherent in any amount is the incentive to maintain or increase the value of the relationship.

ASHG’s Procedures to Identify/Resolve Conflict

• All individuals with potential for influence or control of content (defined in #2 above) must complete an ASHG’s Disclosure Form prior to the education activity as a condition of invitation and acceptance to participate. ASHG staff, Professional Practice and Social Implications (PPSI) Committee, and Program Committee (PC) members are also required to complete an annual disclosure form.
• An independent and unbiased assessment of content will be documented by one of the following methods to identify and resolve COIs –
  • Content review by the program planning committee.
  • Peer review committee are not participating in the specific educational activity.
  • Disclosures of all individuals participating in the educational activity will be made known to the audience as required by the ACCME, in addition to a disclosure of any COIs that have been resolved with independence and without bias.
  • Speakers will be required to verbally and include a disclosure slide (1st slide) identifying commercial relationships/interests or if none. Additionally, they must inform the audience prior to the presentation of any discussion of off-label use.

Consequences of Non-adherence to ACMG’s Policy

• Disqualified from speaking if no disclosure form is completed (SCS 2.2)
• Warning letter if the activity evaluation by the audience and session monitor comments indicates conflicts are present (1st occurrence)
• Not invited to speak or participate in any other role in a ASHG CME-certified educational activity (2nd occurrence)

Content Validation and Fair Balance

1. ASHG follows the ACCME policy on Content Validation for CME activities, which requires:
   1. All recommendations involving clinical medicine must be based on evidence that is accepted within the profession of medicine as adequate justification for their indications and contraindications in the care of patients.
   2. All scientific research referred to, reported, or used in CME in support or justification of patient care recommendations must conform to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis.
2. Activities that fall outside the definition of CME/CE, “Educational activities that serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that a physician uses to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession” (source: ACCME and AMA), will not be certified for credit. CME activities that promote recommendations, treatment, or manners of practicing medicine or pharmacy that are not within the definition of CME/CE or, are known to have risks or dangers that outweigh the benefits or, are known to be ineffective in the treatment of patients.
3. Presentations and CME/CE activity materials must give a balanced view of therapeutic options; use of generic names will contribute to this impartiality. If the CME/CE educational materials or content includes trade names, where available, trade names from several companies must be used.

Off-Label or Unapproved Use of Drugs or Devices

It is the policy of the ASHG to require the disclosure of all references to off-label or unapproved uses of drugs or devices prior to the presentation of educational content. The audience is advised that this continuing medical education activity may contain reference(s) to off-label or unapproved uses of drugs or devices. Please consult the prescribing information for full disclosure of approved uses.

Disclosure Statement

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the policy of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), speakers and moderators presenting in sessions that offer CME and CEU credit must disclose, prior to the start of their presentations, the existence of any relevant financial interest and/or other relationship(s) they might have with the manufacturer(s) or provider(s) of any commercial product(s) or service(s), including diagnostic laboratories to be discussed during their presentation. These disclosures are included in the Online Program Planner.

Speakers with disclosures are required to provide a slide that states any relevant financial relationships (or lack thereof), and to state these to the audience at the start of their presentation. All disclosures have been peer reviewed by the ASHG Program subcommittee.

Diagnostic and Testing Labs and Commercial Interest

ASHG CME activities adhere to the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support. The ACCME has defined under its conflict of interest definition the types of industry interests that must be excluded from CME content delivery. This largely applies to manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and devices. Diagnostic laboratories, whether not-for-profit or for-profit, that are not owned by device manufacturers are exempted from this CME requirement. However, they are still expected to be fair and balanced in their presentations.

HIPAA Compliance by Speakers

The ASHG supports medical information privacy. While the ASHG is not a “covered entity” under HIPAA 1996 and therefore is not required to meet these standards, ASHG wishes to take reasonable steps to ensure that the presentation of individually identifiable health information at ASHG-sponsored events has been properly authorized. All presenters have completed a form indicating whether they intend to present any form of individually identifiable healthcare information. If so, they were asked either to attest that a HIPAA-compliant consent form is on file at their institution, or to send ASHG a copy of the HIPAA compliance form. This information is on record at the ASHG Administrative Office and will be made available upon request.

Disclaimer

The opinions and recommendations expressed by faculty, authors, and other experts whose input is included in this program are their own and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of ASHG.