New England Journal Of Medicine Alters Policies In Response To Complaints Over Conflicts Of Interest

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Public Health
Article Date: 12 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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The New England Journal of Medicine changed its procedures regarding conflict of interest disclosures after a letter by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education criticized the publication for not disclosing a study author's financial conflicts of interest, the New York Times reports.

The study in question was conducted in 2006 by Claudia Henschke of Weill Cornell Medical College. The study found that widespread use of CT scans could prevent 80% of lung cancer deaths. According to the Times, the study did not disclose that Henschke's work was funded in part by a $3.6 million grant from the parent company of the Liggett Group, a cigarette maker. NEJM editors said they were unaware of the connection. Henschke did disclose to NEJM that she and her university had licensed a CT-related patent to General Electric, a maker of CT scanners, but NEJM decided not to disclose that information to readers.

In a letter published in The Cancer Letter, a cancer research newsletter, the Accreditation Council wrote that NEJM and its publisher, the Massachusetts Medical Society, were wrong by failing to disclose "relevant financial conflicts of interests of the authors." The council is responsible for accrediting educational efforts by NEJM, in which physicians can receive continuing education credits for reading published studies and answering related questions.

In a response letter dated Oct. 1, 2008, NEJM officials wrote, "When we published Dr. Henschke's article in 2006 it was not routine NEJM editorial policy to publish details about pending patents," adding, "Since that time our thinking on this issue has evolved." According to the Times, NEJM now asks authors to disclose all patents or royalties related to research and publishes that information with studies (Harris, New York Times, 1/9).

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