Canadian Assciatin fr the Study f the Liver Endrsement Plicy 1. Purpse: The purpse f this CASL plicy is t define the criteria and the prcess that will be fllwed fr requests frm utside rganizatins, agencies, grups r individuals (the Requestrs) fr endrsement f their activities/events by CASL. Such requests may include but are nt limited t psitin statements, clinical practice guidelines, CME events, scientific meetings and prceedings theref, and research activities (the Subject f Request ). The aim f this plicy is t make the prcess f endrsing the Subjects f Request as transparent and bjective as pssible. Cntent develpment and cnduct f CASL, CLF, and CIHR s activities/events (including, but nt limited t, CDDW and the CASL Winter meeting, CASL cnsensus cnferences, ther stand-alne CASL meetings, CASL clinical practice guidelines, and grant cmpetitins) are beynd the scpe f this plicy. 2. Definitins used in this dcument: CASL -- Canadian Assciatin fr the Study f the Liver The Requestr - any rganizatin, agency, grup r individual ther than CASL appraching CASL with a request fr endrsement The Subject f Request - any publicatin r event f a Requestr including, but nt limited t, psitin statements, clinical practice guidelines, CME events, scientific meetings and prceedings theref, as well as research activities Endrsement - a written statement fficially issued by CASL recmmending the Subject f Request in its entirety i.e. its intent, cntent and cnduct. Supprt - CASL bringing the Subject f Request t the attentin f its membership withut fficial endrsement. 3. Criteria: a) CASL Supprt: A Subject f Request will be cnsidered fr CASL Supprt nly when ALL f the fllwing criteria are met: The Subject f Request must be cnsistent with CASL s visin, missin, gals, and standards The Subject f Request must be prduced by a nt-fr-prfit rganizatin r agency. CASL des nt endrse r supprt any cmmercial diagnstic r therapeutic prducts including, but nt limited t, diagnstic tests, drugs (including herbal therapies), fds/nutritinal supplements, equipment r prcedures. The Request fr Supprt must list all parties respnsible fr the cntent and cnduct, f the Subject f Request. Any and all surces f funding must be explicitly stated. All ptential cnflicts f interest must be declared.
The Request fr Supprt must be made by the nn-fr-prfit rganizatin(s) r agency(ies) respnsible fr the Subject f Request. Frm the time the Request (with all dcuments detailed belw) is received by the CASL ffice, the Requestr will allw at least 60 wrking days fr CASL s decisin making. b) CASL Endrsement A Subject f Request will be cnsidered fr Endrsement nly when ALL f the fllwing additinal criteria beynd thse detailed abve fr CASL Supprt are fulfilled: CASL must be invlved in the planning f cntent and cnduct f the Subject f Request at an early stage. The Request fr Endrsement (with all dcuments detailed belw) has t be received by the CASL ffice at least 90 days prir t the Subject f Request taking place 4. Prcess: a) Submissin f Request fr Supprt r Endrsement: Requests fr Supprt r Endrsement must be submitted electrnically t the CASL ffice, as per the timelines detailed abve, with the fllwing dcumentatin: Name, affiliatin and cntacts f the Requestr Relatinship f the Requestr t the rganizatin/agency respnsible fr the Subject f Request Cnflict f interest statement f the Requestr The cmplete set f final dcuments n the Subject f Request that will include the fllwing: A list f rganizers/experts respnsible fr cntent and cnduct, including a declaratin f ptential cnflicts f interest ther invlved cntent experts such as speakers/writers, including a declaratin f their ptential cnflicts f interest detailed prgram/descriptin/cntent f the Subject f Request target audience funding surces A Cheque fr a nn-refundable prcessing fee f CAD 200 payable t CASL (waived fr CASL members) (NOTE: the abve mentined time lines will start nly nce all f the required dcumentatin has been received).
b) Decisin making by CASL: Once a Request fr Endrsement r Supprt is received, the CASL ffice will determine the cmpleteness f the submitted dcumentatin. CASL can request additinal infrmatin frm the Requestr, if necessary. Once all f the required dcumentatin has been received t the satisfactin f CASL, the CASL ffice will send the cmplete file n the Subject f Request t the CASL President and President elect. The CASL President (r in his absence, the President elect) will review all f the dcumentatin submitted by the Requestr and decide whether the Subject f Request falls within CASL s visin, missin, gals, and standards, as well as within the scpe f this plicy dcument. If nt, the CASL President will instruct the CASL ffice t prepare and send a respnse letter t the Requestr with ntificatin f this decisin. If the Requestr disagrees, he/she may appeal the decisin by re-submitting the required dcumentatin accmpanied by a rebuttal letter detailing the reasns fr disagreeing. If s (and in any case f an appeal), the CASL President will instruct the CASL ffice t have the Request fr Supprt r Endrsement placed n the agenda fr the next CASL EXEC TC. The CASL ffice will then send all dcumentatin n the Subject f Request t all members f the CASL EXEC fr their review. At the CASL EXEC TC, the CASL EXEC will decide n the Subject f Request by majrity vte f thse present. In case f a draw, the vte f the CASL President (r in his absence, the President elect) decides. The decisin by the CASL EXEC is final and cannt be appealed. The CASL ffice will then prepare a respnse letter with ntificatin f this decisin, has it signed by the CASL president (r in his absence, the President elect) and sent it t the Requestr tgether with a request t cmplete the additinal steps utlined belw. c) Additinal steps required t cmplete an apprved Request fr Supprt: Once a Request fr Supprt has been apprved by the CASL EXEC, The CASL EXEC will decide at the same EXEC TC n the mst apprpriate way f bringing the Subject f Request t the attentin f its members (e.g. psting n Website, extra E-mail blast, including in next scheduled E-mail blast). The CASL ffice must add the fllwing disclaimer t its cmmunicatin n the Entity t its membership: The Canadian Assciatin fr the Study f the Liver (CASL) has made every effrt t ensure that infrmatin included within this [Subject f Request] is accurate at the time f this cmmunicatin. The infrmatin included cannt substitute fr the advice r directin f a health care prfessinal, and CASL makes n guarantees, nr can it assume any legal liability fr the accuracy, cmpleteness, r usefulness f such infrmatin r fr any damage incurred directly r indirectly frm the infrmatin.
Reference t any specific prduct des nt imply its endrsement, recmmendatin r preference by CASL. Shuld a CASL Supprted Subject f Request be psted n the CASL website, it is at the sle discretin f CASL whether and when t take it ff its website again withut any bligatin t give (a) reasn(s) r t ntify the Requestr. All the abve is cmmunicated with the decisin letter t the Requestr asking fr apprval. The CASL ffice will nly cmmunicate the Subject f Request t its membership nce the apprval t all the abve has been received in writing frm the Requestr. d) Additinal steps required t cmplete an apprved Request fr Endrsement: Once a request fr Endrsement has been apprved by the CASL EXEC, A written cntractual agreement between CASL and the rganizatin/agency respnsible fr the Subject f Request is required. This cntractual agreement shall define the details f executin f the Endrsement and shall minimally state the fllwing: CASL shall prvide the Requestr with an endrsement in the frm f a written statement recmmending the Subject f Request. The fllwing is an example f such a statement: This [Subject f Request] is cnsistent with the visin, missin, gals and plicies f the Canadian Assciatin fr the Study f the Liver (CASL). A disclaimer must appear n all written material, prtecting CASL frm legal liability in the misinterpretatin f cntent f the Subject f Request. The fllwing statement shall appear n all materials regarding the Subject f Request fr which CASL is prviding endrsement: The Canadian Assciatin fr the Study f the Liver (CASL) has made every effrt t ensure that infrmatin included within this [Subject f Request] is accurate. The infrmatin included cannt substitute fr the advice r directin f ther experts and health care prfessinals, and CASL makes n guarantees, nr can it assume any legal liability fr the accuracy, cmpleteness, r usefulness f such infrmatin r fr any damage incurred directly r indirectly frm the infrmatin. Reference t any specific prduct des nt imply its endrsement, recmmendatin r preference by CASL. The use f the CASL lg n any material relating t the Subject f Request must be apprved by the CASL EXEC fr each instance. N alteratins can be made t the CASL lg, supprting statements r disclaimer. All materials relating t the Subject f Request shuld be available in bth fficial languages f Canada All materials relating t the Subject f Request shuld nte the date f prductin/publicatin.
The cntractual agreement is t be signed fr CASL by the CASL President and President elect, fr the Requestr by tw fficers f the rganizatin/agency respnsible fr the Subject f Request. The CASL EXEC shall decide n a nn-refundable prcessing fee fr this cntractual agreement, t be paid t CASL prir t it taking effect. 5. Terms and Cnditins This plicy was finalized by the CASL EXEC n July 7, 2015 and apprved by the CASL Bard f Directrs n Nvember 14, 2015. This plicy takes effect, as f the date f its apprval and replaces any previus plicies in this matter. The Bard f Directrs will review this plicy annually and adapt it, as necessary.