Accreditation

Disclosures for faculty and planners: Unless otherwise noted, the faculty and planners have had no commercial relationships with ineligible companies in the past 24 months. All commercial relationships have been mitigated.

Continuing Education Credits

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons designates this other activity (blended live and enduring material) for a maximum of 77.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physician Assistants (PAs) may claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for completing this activity.

Intended Audience

The intended audience consists of cardiothoracic surgeons, general surgeons, anesthesiologists, oncologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, radiologists, and allied health care providers working with cardiothoracic surgeons. MDs and DOs may claim CME credit; non-MDs/DOs are awarded a certificate of participation. Physicians Assistants (PAs) may claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for participating in this activity.

Learning Objectives

Review the results of clinical and laboratory investigations designed to reveal new knowledge of cardiothoracic diseases or develop new technology applicable to the management of cardiothoracic diseases
Evaluate the impact of new knowledge and the application of new technology on the treatment of cardiothoracic diseases
Discuss the importance of patient safety issues and how current strategies can be introduced into one’s practice or institution
Discuss surgical techniques in order to improve the standard of care within the specialty
Examine how public policy can impact the treatment of one’s patients
Share and summarize information provided through small group discussions facilitated by leaders in cardiothoracic surgery

Disclosure Information

As a sponsor of continuing medical education accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons requires that any individual who is in a position to control the content of an educational activity must disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies. This is to ensure that that all decisions related to the planning, faculty selection, delivery, and evaluation of accredited education are made without any influence or involvement from the owners and employees of an ineligible company. The ACCME defines ineligible companies as those whose “primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling, or distributing health care products used by or on patients.” The question of whether a disclosed conflict situation could represent undue influence on the educational activity by an ineligible company or whether the disclosed information is sufficient to consider an abstract, presentation, or other educational enduring material to represent potentially biased information must be mitigated prior to an individual’s involvement in STS educational programming.

Disclosure information is provided for each presenter at the beginning of the session and/or presentation. If applicable, the absence of relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies will also be disclosed to learners. To review the complete STS Education Disclosure Policy, go to sts.org/about-sts/policies/education-disclosure-policy.