Med school conflict policies lacking: study

Written byBob Grant

| 1 min read

Listen with Speechify

0:00

1:00

Most US medical schools excel at keeping an eye on linkurl:conflicts of interest;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/53381/ 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 linkurl:survey;http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/299/6/665 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."

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.
View Full Profile