Below is a presentation, in French, by one of my Masters students — Charles Marsan — who’s doing his research COI in the context of veterinary medicine, with a particular focus on small animal (pets) practice.
Here’re some news stories that caught my eye:
Setting standards and medical guidelines
Transitioning from Academic to Decision Maker
Policy Updates
Disclosure and recusal are by far the two dominant strategies considered when individuals or institutions are faced with conflicts of interest. But the emphasis given to these two particular ways of dealing with financial conflict of interest – for almost any circumstances – may reduce complex ethical situations into their simplest expression. Even if freedom from financial conflicts of interest could be attained, what about the impact of ideological, personal of even epistemological conflicts of interest that are intrinsic to the research enterprise? There is no way we can create a “conflict of interest free” context; and to pretend otherwise and continue to suggest that we can manage such situations exclusively by disclosure and recusal may undermine public trust. We cannot plausibly believe that because someone “admits it” (disclosure) or “was not there” (recusal) that the process is free of potential prejudice for patients, research participants, or the public interest. In this NY Times story, for example (Health Guideline Panels Struggle with Conflicts of Interest), it is argued that in the context of US national expert panels involved in developing health policy guidelines, it may be simply unrealistic to rely on gathering internationally recognized experts who are free of any financial conflict of interest.
Here’s a short (6min) and entertaining TED talk by Dan Ariely — Beware Conflicts of Interest — on recognizing COI in our professional and research lives. The important point that he makes is that sometimes COI appear obvious, even egregious, while at other times we may not even recognize their presence, until we have time to reflect on why we have behaved a certain way or made certain choices. So a first step, then, in dealing with COI is recognizing that they exist…
As I’ve commented on numerous occasions, good COI policies are an important (if not sufficient) means of supporting staff and creating an environment where COI are actively managed, not hidden or ignored. A good starting point is this tool — Writing a Conflict of Interest Policy — developed by Chris MacDonald, who’s an expert in business ethics (Businessethicsblog.com) with significant research and consultation experience developing codes of ethics and addressing COI situations (e.g., Conflict of Interest for Mayors (and Other Committee Chairs)). As Chris notes,
All kinds of organizations need a Conflict of Interest policy. Experience suggests that many people have only a vague idea of what Conflict of Interest is, or how to deal with it. And yet dealing properly with COI is crucial to maintaining organizational integrity and reputation. A well-written policy is a great place to start.