Read on Twitter
1/8 My first Twitter thread:
I was asked to write an editorial for @bmj_latest regarding a published article by Moynihan and colleagues. In their article it was found that leaders of prominent US medical societies had significant financial conflicts of interest
I was asked to write an editorial for @bmj_latest regarding a published article by Moynihan and colleagues. In their article it was found that leaders of prominent US medical societies had significant financial conflicts of interest
2/8 This analysis found that 80% of these US based physician leaders had financial ties to industry. For the 235 leaders with industry ties, the median total payment during the study time frame was $31 805. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1505
3/8 @VassarTeam and I have published numerous studies regarding financial conflicts of interest in medicine and through our pursuits we have identified some core areas of improvement to decrease the prevalence of FCOIs.
4/8 Thus, in our BMJ editorial https://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/369/bmj.m1811.full.pdf we proposed 5 actions to reduce FCOIs among leaders of medical societies that could be generalized to CPG authors, RCT trialists, etc. Here are the proposed actions:
5/8
1. Each association must take the initiative to evaluate its present conflicts using Open Payments.
2. Associations should alter their recruitment processes to yield balanced and diverse groups of physician leaders largely free from financial conflicts of interest.
1. Each association must take the initiative to evaluate its present conflicts using Open Payments.
2. Associations should alter their recruitment processes to yield balanced and diverse groups of physician leaders largely free from financial conflicts of interest.
6/8
3. We call for the creation of standards for promoting medical associations that are free from financial conflicts of interest, similar to the framework within the Institute of Medicine’s standards for producing clinical practice guidelines we can trust.
3. We call for the creation of standards for promoting medical associations that are free from financial conflicts of interest, similar to the framework within the Institute of Medicine’s standards for producing clinical practice guidelines we can trust.
7/8
4. Greater reliance on the Sunshine Act and Open Payments in the US (and elsewhere for countries with similar data) could eliminate the need for the traditional “honor system” of financial self-disclosure, which is ineffective and inaccurate at best.
4. Greater reliance on the Sunshine Act and Open Payments in the US (and elsewhere for countries with similar data) could eliminate the need for the traditional “honor system” of financial self-disclosure, which is ineffective and inaccurate at best.
8/8
5. We propose that all medical associations, guidelines groups, and policy makers provide links from their documents to Open Payments data for each US based physician contributor. Such links would make it easier for anyone, including patients, to evaluate any risk of bias.
5. We propose that all medical associations, guidelines groups, and policy makers provide links from their documents to Open Payments data for each US based physician contributor. Such links would make it easier for anyone, including patients, to evaluate any risk of bias.
I would love to hear your thoughts on regarding FCOIs and other biases found in medicine today. #MedStudentTwitter #MedTwitter #MedEd #research #OrthoTwitter #conflictsofinterest
