Quality Policy

PRINCIPLES

WHO WE ARE

Serono Symposia International was founded in 1971.

From its earliest creation, the purpose of Serono Symposia Internationalhas been to identify the most significant advances made in the medical and scientific field, pinpoint the most recent innovations in technology and therapy and communicate this information quickly to the whole scientific community.

In 2002, the Sereno Symposia International Foundationwas constituted as an independent non-profit organization.

Since its constitution, the Organization has been committed to pursue its tradition of educational excellence, disseminating the results of the most innovative medical and scientific research, thus educating and stimulating its target clientele and contributing to an improvement in the healthcare outcomes for patients.

The Serono Symposia International Foundation therefore, independently or in collaboration with medical associations and other organizations, works to improve healthcare by developing education programs aimed at doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied professionals in the community.

MISSION

The Serono Symposia International Foundation (hereafter referred to as SSIF) is a non-profit foundation that also operates at international level, whose purpose is to gather and disseminate scientific information and offer education programs that are rigorously validated, pitched at a high scientific level, for scientists, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied professionals in the health sector, aimed at improving patient care and attention, and maximizing health research outcomes.

Through its organization, the Serono Symposia International Foundation:

Defines ways and means of encouraging Continuing Medical Education for professionals.
Defines ways and means of mounting projects.
Provides support to local and international initiatives for Continuing Medical Education.

The Foundation is a body that stimulates research, debate, communication and training activities in order to participate in the change management and development of the role and competences of doctors, encouraging lifelong professional growth and supporting the practical activities of health professionals by providing operational tools.

VALUES

The Management of our Foundation draws its inspiration from the following set of values.

we respect medicine and medical professionals in the health sector
we believe in and respect the professional status of the people working in our Foundation
we believe in the scientific validity of the services we offer
we believe in collaborative relationships with health professionals who are, to all intents and purposes, our business partners
we believe in the vigorous exchange of ideas between all those working in our organization
we respect all operators in the health sector and promote channels of transparent communication with other organizations involved in continuing medical education
we believe in respecting rules, and in this regard make sure our collaborators are aware of and adhere to the relevant laws in force
we believe that the persons we work with are important as individuals and always deserve our respect
each of us is responsible for his/her own actions and decisions
we all work according to principles of ethics and integrity
teamwork is fundamental to our success.

PRINCIPLES

For accreditation of CME (Continuing Medical Education) events, our Foundation applies the following principles:

A commitment to respecting the national or foreign rules and regulations governing accreditation, with maximum transparency and in conformity with ethical codes.
A commitment to guaranteeing that the information provided and outcomes produced are objective and not influenced by direct or indirect interests.
A commitment to choosing teachers/trainers with all due care, according to guidelines laid down by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Scientific Committee.
Responsibility for educational content and ensuring it is up to date; for scientific quality; and for the ethical integrity of all educational activities undertaken.
A commitment not to allow sponsors to influence the contents of:
- the planning and running of CME activities
- educational materials.
A commitment to monitor the existence of any conflicts of interest between parties guaranteeing financial support and teachers, members of the Scientific Committee or the Scientific Director.
A commitment not to make gifts of money or other forms of donation. Calculations of the fee for speakers at CME events must be made on the basis of principles of economy and proportionality to the professional qualification of the person concerned, within the limits laid down by the Board of Directors.

POLICY

Management has promoted the adoption of a system of process management based on the respect of principles of quality, recognizing that to operate a Quality Management System represents a guarantee:

for clients in terms of reliability of the service provided both in terms of the scientific content and the professional organization of the events scheduled
for collaborators in terms of the reliability and integrity of the organization in which they are operating
for Company Management in terms of the control of internal processes.

The Quality Management System represents for Management a guide to the organization and management of processes. Through its Quality Management System, Management aims to:

define and document all internal processes and identify opportunities for improvement
define and document ways of working that meet the requirements of internal efficiency and safety in the service provided
improve the quality of services both in terms of the reliability and retraceability of any process
support the organization in the process of organizational growth promoted by Management
define a system of measurement and control of processes and services, aimed at improving performance.

Management is intent on putting these Policy aims into practice, and by setting measurable targets is committed to:

defining on a yearly basis specific and measurable process objectives and to communicate these to all parties involved through specific training programs
monitoring the defined objectives through regular, properly formalized re-examinations on at least a yearly basis
providing all the resources – human, financial, technical and logistic – necessary to achieve the defined objectives
supporting the Quality Management System through regular meetings with all collaborators.

Management’s commitment to a Quality System has also resulted in the appointment of a Quality Control Manager whose responsibility it is to:

help all collaborators to apply the Quality Management System
provide adequate information support to all external parties – clients and suppliers – interested in our Management System.

All collaborators are urged to own and support the Quality Project to ensure its success, immediately adhering to the principles contained in the present Policy.

Approved by the President