FESSH PATRONAGE CRITERIA OF MILE
(MEETING FOR INTERACTIVE LIFE EDUCATION)

  1. Read through the criteria
  2. Fill in the Application form and attach Appendixes (download all documents as a zip file)
  3. Send documents to szilvia.schmidt@fessh.com not later than 12 weeks before the planned start date of the meeting
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1. PURPOSE OF PATRONAGE

The purpose of the FESSH patronage is to give a quality mark to international meetings in the field of hand surgery. The aim is to encourage the delivery of the highest standards in education for increasing knowledge and skills and further professional development.

2. DEFINITIONS

MILE (Meeting for Interactive Live Education): The meeting can be a congress, course, symposium, workshop or any other form of getting together. The primary purpose of the meeting should be the provision of educational material and/or possibility to learn skills to trainees and/or medical specialists in the field of hand surgery. It requires the presence of participants confirmed by a registration system. The meeting must be live and interactive.

Faculty includes: invited speakers, session chairs, workshop trainers, round table moderators, discussion facilitators, developers and presenters of educational material. It does not include poster presenters, abstract presenters, speakers in industry symposia.

Organizing / Scientific Committee: The medical staff responsible for the design of the meeting, the content and faculty. This does not include the non-medical staff responsible for the logistical part of organizing the meeting (PCO) nor can it be one of the sponsors.

Provider: The person/committee/organization who is organizing the meeting with final responsibility. The provider can be (a member of) the organizing committee

Unrestricted educational grant: An unrestricted educational grant is financial sponsorship offered to a provider by a sponsor through a transparent contract. All funding must be provided free of any attempt of the sponsor to influence the program, individual sessions, subjects for discussion, content or faculty members.

Full member of the FESSH: a national hand society of a European country which is member of the FESSH

Associate member of the FESSH: a national hand society of a country outside Europe with the same rights and obligations of a full FESSH member except the right to vote.

3. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR FESSH PATRONAGE

FESSH will consider patronage for meetings submitted by:

  • An individual medical specialist who is member of the national hand society which is a full or associate member of the FESSH
  • An organizing committee*, of which at least one medical specialist is member of the national hand society, which is a full or associate member of the FESSH
  • A national hand society which is a full or associate member of the FESSH*

*The application must be supported by at least one senior medical specialist in the field of hand surgery who has the final responsibility and must be registered as a medical specialist with his/her national registration authority.

4. FESSH GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The aim of accrediting a MILE is to stimulate education of the highest standard to improve the quality of care in the field of hand surgery. In order to guarantee this high-level education, the FESSH has set the following principles:

MILE

  • Meeting: course, congress, symposium, webinar or any other form of getting together
  • Interactive: methods for active learning must be used such as discussion time, hands-on workshop and groups.
  • The meeting must be Live (recorded meetings will not be endorsed)
  • The primary purpose of the meeting is Education

Educational needs and learning objectives

  • Learning needs and educational outcomes have to be defined
  • Learning needs and educational outcomes have to be in the field of hand surgery
  • The target audience has to be defined

Particpant’s engagement and feedback

  • Participant’s attendance will need to be monitored
  • Participants are expected to provide feedback on the meeting
  • The provider must submit a report based on the learner’s feedback

Conflicts of interest and resolution of conflicts of interest

  • Conflicts of interest will need to be disclosed by the organizing committee, invited speakers and provider
  • Any actual conflict of interest needs to be resolved prior to the meeting

Commercial influence

  • The content of the education provided must be free of any commercial influence and advertising
  • Sponsorship must be according to the “unrestricted educational grant” rule (see definitions)
  • Meetings provided entirely by a pharmaceutical or medical equipment company will not be considered for patronage

5. REQUIREMENTS FOR PATRONAGE

The following essential criteria must be answered in the application form:
The provider must

  1. Define the educational needs/outcomes
  2. Define the “target audience”
  3. Define title, venue, date and description of the meeting (i.e, congress)
  4. Provide the detailed program of education with invited speakers
  5. Give information regarding the expected number of participants (including speakers)
  6. Have a registration of attendance system
  7. Provide the method of feedback from the participants
  8. Provide a report of the feedback responses of participants, the number of participants after the meeting within 4 weeks
  9. Provide the name and job title of all members of organizing committee, invited speaker and providing organization.
  10. Provide the name and job title of the senior medical specialist who has the final responsibility. The number in the national registration system of medical specialists must be provided.
  11. Provide written declarations of potential or actual conflicts of interest of all members of the organizing/scientific committee, invited speakers and providing organization. Confirm that actual conflicts are resolved.
  12. Declare the source(s) of all fundings of the meeting:
  • Particpants’ registration fees
  • Unrestricted educational grant from sponsor
  • Provider’s own funds
  • Exhibition booths during the event
  • Commercial symposia organized during the breaks
  • Advertisements outside the scientific programme
  • Provision of a range of tools during the event
  • Other (specification needed)

None of the members of the organizing committee, invited speakers or providing organization can be working for one of the industrial sponsors, and vice versa.

  1. The meeting must be presented in a manner suitable for an international audience. Written program and speaking language must be in English
  2. Include interaction to promote active learning (one or combination of following methods can be used):
  • Discussion time
  • Quiz
  • Groups
  • Electronic communication
  • Hands-on workshop
  • Other type of interaction
  1. Meeting must be held in compliance with all relevant ethical, medico-legal, regulatory, industry-based and legal requirements.

The organizing and/or scientific committee must:

  1. Ensure that the program presents a scientifically balanced perspective of the subjects included without bias and with sufficient opportunity for discussion
  2. Confirm that the whole content of the scientific program is free of influence of sponsors’ involvement

6. SUBMISSION / EVALUATION AND PATRONAGE PROCESS

  • The latest date for submission of application is 12 weeks before the planned start date of the meeting. The whole evaluation process will take no more than 4 weeks from the moment that the application form is completed (information on all essential criteria must be provided).
  • Application form must be sent in email to andrea.gotz@fessh.com
  • No applications sent on paper will be considered
  • Late applications will not be considered
  • Applications must be written in English
  • Each year a new application for each course has to be submitted
  • Outcome will be sent by mail, outcome can be appealed to. An independent member of the Council will be asked to reconsider the application. A second negative outcome cannot be appealed to.

The FESSH commits to:

  • Provide on its website an application form based on the essential criteria
  • Ensure confidentiality regarding the application submitted
  • Inform the applicant on the date of the application, status of application form (complete or missing information), starting date of evaluation (the application form needs to be completed), inform about the evaluation outcome within 4 weeks after the starting date, publish the meeting on the website of the FESSH if accepted for patronage.
  • Have the application reviewed by two independent members of the congress committee, in case of disagreement a third member of the council will do the review process

7. OUTCOMES

  • Confirmation of patronage of the meeting by the FESSH will permit the provider to write in black on the programme, flyers and website: “under the patronage of the Federation of the European Societies for Surgery of the Hand (FESSH)”. All other forms are prohibited. The FESSH-logo will be sent by the FESSH Managing Office. Any other form of logo, changes in form or colors are not allowed.
  • The logo may only be used in conjunction with, and in proximity to, the FESSH patronage statement and must not be associated with any other commercial logo. The logo cannot be used in notices, advertising, or promotion of activities other than in association with the FESSH patronage statement.
  • Patronage of a meeting by the FESSH will be for that specific meeting designated on the application form. It is not allowed to transfer the assignment of patronage to any other meeting or any other date/year
  • By receiving patronage, the provider acknowledges that the FESSH cannot be held responsible for any content of the meeting, nor take over any legal of financial responsibilities and no right can be derived of the assignment of patronage.

8. SANCTIONS

If the final program distributed to the participants during the meeting differs from the meeting program that was approved for patronage and is not compliant with the FESSH criteria, the assignment of patronage will be withdrawn and the provider cannot apply for patronage for a following edition of the meeting in case of an annual meeting and cannot apply for a new meeting for the next 6 months. A report of the feedback responses of participants and the number of participants must be delivered after the meeting within 4 weeks. If this deadline is not met, the provider cannot apply for patronage for a following edition of the meeting in case of an annual meeting.

9. INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING MEETING MATERIAL

  • All educational material must be free of any form of advertising and any form of bias
  • A single page acknowledgement in the scientific program is accepted where all sponsors are recognized for their support of the meeting, this may not be the front page of a program booklet
  • Program booklet must be divided in two parts. The first part consists of all scientific/educational information. The second part consists of information of the meeting itself (venue, registration etc.), sponsors and advertisements
  • Industry names/logos may also not appear in the vicinity of the FESSH patronage statement and logo
  • The same principles apply for the website. Sponsor names and logos may not appear on the home page

10. QUICK APPLICATION CHECKLIST FOR PROVIDERS

The following documents are need to be completed (download all documents as a zip file):

  • Appendix 1 FESSH Patronage Application Form filled in
  • Appendix 2 Declaration of no conflict of Interest Organizers (Confirmation that all members of the scientific and/or organising committee have provided written declarations of potential or actual conflicts of interest funding of the MILE)
  • Appendix 3 Declaration of no conflict of Interest Faculty (Confirmation that all members of the faculty have provided written declarations of potential or actual conflicts of interest funding of the MILE)
  • Appendix 4 Conflict of Interest form to be filled out by each scientific, organizing committee member and faculty
  • Appendix 5 Definitive program of the meeting with faculty (to be attached by you)
  • Appendix 6 Means for the applicants to provide feedback (evaluation form or link to be attached by you)