Most US medical schools excel at keeping an eye on conflicts of interest among their faculty. But they're not so good at keeping an eye on themselves, according to a study out today.

In a 2006 survey of the nation's 125 accredited allopathic medical school deans, only 38 percent of survey respondents said that they had adopted institutional conflict of interest policies applicable to their institution's own financial ties. In contrast, more than half said their schools' policies dealt with financial interests held by senior and midlevel officials, institutional review board members, and governing board members at their schools.

The survey appears in tomorrow's (Feb. 13) issue of JAMA. "Although it is encouraging that 38% of institutions are in the process of developing policies covering the institutions' financial interests," the study's authors write, "wider adoption of [conflict of interest] policies covering these interests is imperative in light of the compelling interests of research integrity, protection of human subjects, and preservation of public trust."