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Other initiatives

The people who need to know about the COI are those who learn about the results of a study and have to interpret it.

The decision about disclosure of a COI should never be left to the possessors of the COI because they are susceptible to self-deception or worse about the influence of the COI on their research behavior.

Thus, NIH and other funding agencies, Professional Societies sponsoring research meetings, and the leading journals now require disclosure of COIs as a precondition for reviewing, editing, presenting and publishing research and research proposals but there is no means of enforcing the requirement. Voluntary revelation of a COI precludes the reviewing, of a grant or paper. A COI must be disclosed in presenting science.

The Appearance of a COI must be avoided or disclosed. Consider the NY Times test. "Would you want the relationship published in the NY Times?"
The presence of Conflicts of Interest tends to diminish the credibility of a study.

The most common conflicts of interest in research are between financial or career rewards and the integrity of a research study, report, presentation, or review.
It's necessary to manage outside income,
    for consultations
    for lectures,
    for courses,
    for research
when conducting a clinical trial.

Full disclosure of conflicts of interest should be required in consent forms, papers, lectures and presentations. COIs may result in:
  1. Loss of objectivity
  2. Reordering of priorities towards applied research
  3. Degradation of the nature of science as an open and collegial enterprise
  4. Exploitation of trainees
  5. Transfer of time and interest to Commercial ventures

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Chapter 4
Quick Links


Conflicts of Interest (COI)

Definitions

Consequences of a COI

Government Intervention

Industry Sponsorship

Professional Societies

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Other Initiatives

COI in Financial Consulting

Cases

Bibliography


Chapter 4 Download (PDF)