Criteria to Assess Independence in Continuing Medical Education (CME): Independence through Competence and Transparency.

Marburger Bund is the largest doctors' union in Europe representing about 125,000 salaried doctors in Germany and fights for fair working conditions, appropriate salaries, quality in training, and improvements in the work-life balance. Following a decision of 127^th Marburger Bund General Assembly 2015, criteria should be developed to be applied by participants to assess independence in planning and delivery of individual CME activities. This position paper describes the role of methodological and medical competence generation and use of data (evidence) independent sources of information independence of faculty in CME language in medical education conduct of independent CME, and independence of (passive) physician participants in CME Measures are defined by which independence in CME may be achieved and how this may change the process of CME delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]