Accreditation Statement
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry designates this educational activity for a maximum of 29.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nursing Credit
Contact hours for this continuing nursing educational activity will be submitted to the Maryland State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Please check with the AAGP Registration Desk for updated information and a packet to claim nursing continuing education credits.

Needs Assessment
The American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) provides leadership in development and implementation of educational activities to enhance the ability of psychiatrists, primary care physicians and other health care professionals to recognize and address the special mental health needs of the geriatric population. AAGP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians. The educational activities of the annual meeting are determined by a process that begins with a series of needs assessments, including consultation with the Board of Directors and nationally recognized experts in geriatric psychiatry and geriatric medicine, topic surveys of AAGP members, evaluations from previous meetings, and consultations on issues with the AAGP Education, Research, Clinical Practice, and Public Policy Committees. Every session proposal is reviewed by the Annual Meeting Program Committee and selected based on content consistent with program vision and goals. Gaps in educational content are identified and additional sessions are solicited to ensure a well-balanced comprehensive educational program. A truly comprehensive review and evaluation process begins and ends with assessing the needs of the participants. The self-review process coupled with participant feedback allows AAGP to enhance its educational activities each year.

AAGP's Policies on Conflict of Interest/Disclosure
As a CME provider, AAGP has procedures in place to ensure that activities are planned and presented free of any control or influence of a commercial supporter. Speakers are required to provide to AAGP and program participants meaningful disclosure of financial interests, identify potential conflicts of interest, and establish a mechanism to resolve any conflicts before an activity occurs. Additionally, all speakers/authors are required to sign a statement/pledge that their material will be presented based on the best available evidence-based practice and that it will not be biased by any financial interest he or she may have in an entity producing health care goods or services.

Content Monitoring/Review
AAGP has procedures in place to screen educational material before it is presented at a meeting or published. The CME Committee members review handouts and slide materials for all CME sessions to ensure that the sessions are: educational and not promotional; content balance is evident, reflecting all legitimate perspectives of an issue, a therapeutic approach, or use of a medical device (if balance is not possible, the session is eliminated or rationale for inclusion explained to the audience); peer-reviewed references are provided; conclusions are only drawn when true comparisons have been made; among other procedural criteria listed in "AAGP Continuing Medical Education Policies for Disclosure and Conflict of Interest." The CME Committee notes to the faculty any changes that must be made in order for the presentation to be made at the AAGP Annual Meeting. During the Annual Meeting, each industry-supported symposia presentation is monitored and reported upon by AAGP Board members and other volunteers. As with all sessions, attendees are provided with the opportunity for evaluation and feedback. If either individual evaluations reflect a biased presentation and/or the Board monitors report an inappropriate presentation, the CME Committee reviews the content and tapes of the session and, if appropriate, sanctions are implemented. The CME Committee reports to the AAGP Board of Directors on all violations and resolutions of inappropriate presentations or violations of AAGP's CME policies.

Disclosures from Planning Committee, Board, and Speakers/Authors
All Committee members in a position to influence the content of an educational activity, as well as all Board members, are required to complete and submit the Planning Committee Disclosure Form.

Conclusion
AAGP's guidelines are intentionally comprehensive and compliance is rigorously monitored by Committee and Board members and staff to provide high quality educational experiences for all participants. To continuously improve educational activities, the Association evaluates its rules and procedures each year.

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