CAR - Canadian Association of Radiologists

The Canadian Association of Radiologists is the national specialty association for radiologists, dedicated to medical imaging excellence in patient care

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Endorsement Policy

Outline

This document lays out the CAR’s philosophy, policy and procedures for endorsement. While endorsement requests from CAR members would be looked on favourably, non-members and non-radiologist applicants that are involved in diagnostic imaging are encouraged to seek CAR endorsement.

CAR Endorsement and Use of the CAR Logo

CAR Endorsement is defined as “expressing approval of the general scope and objectives, the content and the process of planning and preparing” of a program/project/initiative. Such endorsement is signified by the CAR name and logo being affiliated with the program or event.

Reasons for CAR Endorsement

The CAR recognizes that endorsements of certain activities conducted by other organizations or individuals in public or private service may serve the best interest of the CAR and its membership. The CAR’s strategic plan defines five pillars including advocacy, education, patient care, research and innovation as well as engagement. Applications that cite goals and objectives in the CAR’s strategic plan would likely have a greater chance of success. Moreover, CAR’s endorsement of activities, programs, or events related to imaging may provide a benefit to other physicians and health professionals involved in imaging. In the same vein, the CAR welcomes non-radiologist organizations and individuals to submit their activities, programs, and events for CAR endorsement, in the interest of furthering the interests of diagnostic and medical imaging more generally.

Endorsement or support means that the CAR will communicate and promote the educational program. The CAR will also support the initiative with its guidelines as well as its group of experts’ opinion leaders if ever there were a question related to radiology best practices at the national level in Canada. If the CAR is not able to formally support the initiative, it may suggest that individual members or other channels to those requesting formal support.

Requests for Financial Support

Requests for financial support that come forward to the CAR should consider the principles of endorsement. Endorsement carries risks inherent to the association of CAR’s logo and reputation with a third party. Unless an exceptional case comes forward, requests for financial support should be considered within the CAR’s strategic plan and align with the CAR’s budget cycle. The budget for the following year is presented at the September board meeting.

Eligibility Criteria for Endorsement – Application process

  1. A CAR member in good standing must be part of the proposed initiative that is requesting an endorsement.
  2. The proposal must support the mission of the CAR.
  3. The content is primarily directed at radiology in Canada.
  4. The proposal must be national or regional in scope and/or be recognized as of major importance to the CAR and its membership.
  5. The program/content/initiative must be free of commercial bias.
  6. All sources involved in the planning and/or funding of the program/project must be disclosed.
  7. The completion of the CAR Endorsement Policy request form, which provides a detailed description of the proposal, must be completed.

Approval Process

Only submissions using the CAR Endorsement Policy request form will be accepted. Once the request for endorsement has been submitted, the CAR Executive Committee will review the request at the next scheduled meeting to evaluate if the proposal meets the criteria listed above. A formal decision letter will be issued by the CAR, including next steps as appropriate.

*Please note that the requesting body/individual may be asked to deliver a formal presentation to the CAR board if deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.

Important Considerations

There should be no promotion, communication or marketing implying CAR endorsement until the initiative has been formally reviewed and approved by the CAR Board of Directors. Use of the CAR logo or the written implication of CAR support is strictly forbidden at any time without formal permission from the CAR.

If approved, the requesting organization/individual will consult the CAR Marketing and Communications policy and request approval for the use of the CAR name and logo from the Director, Communication and Marketing.

Review of Projects Previously Endorsed

If a project initially proposed for endorsement is multi-year in scope, at the time of its evaluation, the Executive Committee can determine whether the CAR endorsement should be reviewed on a yearly basis. If the project is to be reviewed on a yearly basis, the same criteria and checklist as included in the CAR Endorsement Policy request form will be used for subsequent evaluations to maintain endorsement status.

In the event that a completed or terminated project which had been previously endorsed or proposed for endorsement reapplies for endorsement by the CAR, the same criteria and process cited above will be used for the reevaluation.

 

Approved by the CAR Board of Directors on April 26, 2018 and revised on January 31, 2020.

Adopted from the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society polies on endorsement.