Course Content Disclosure

Although course attendees may want to learn more about new products and techniques, they do not want to attend an “infomercial,” and Providers must ensure that sales and promotion are not included in course content.

What It Looks Like

There is no specific language that must be included in content disclosures. Here are some examples of how these disclosures may be stated:

This presentation will focus exclusively on (insert name of product or service) and will not include information on other similar or related (insert product or service).

This course will discuss (insert name of product or service) with limited to no information about like products or services.

When It Happens

The content disclosure should be clearly communicated to learners before a course begins. The content disclosure may appear on:

Promotional materials
Registration materials
Materials distributed prior to the course
Session descriptions

How It Supports Compliance

Standard 3.1 outlines what Providers must do to ensure that product sales and services are not the focus of a course offered for ASHA continuing education units (CEUs). This includes alerting learners about content that might be limited to a specific product or service and the need to purchase materials to participate in the course. Corresponding policies about content disclosures and purchasing materials provide additional details for Providers.

Why It Matters

To allow learners to make informed decisions about participating in a course, Providers must make it clear when the course content is focused on a particular product or service and will not include information on similar or like products or services. Providers must also ensure that the course does not promote or encourage the sale of the product(s) or service(s).