Healthy Skepticism Library item: 5908

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Gardner L.
Professional organizations and healthcare industry support: ethical conflict. Commentary
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 1994; 3:247-253

Abstract:

Physicians have an obligation to maintain both the appearance and the actual practice of objective decision making and sound clinical judgement. Promotional activities by the healthcare industry can be evaluated by application of the framework of acceptability outlined in this article. When participating in activities with a strong potential for bias, such as detailing visits, physicians are ethically obligated to minimize bias by seeking to balance the information received with information from other sources. The most acceptable promotional activities are those that incorporate an educational component with an unbiased or fully balanced content, thus facilitating a responsible and ethical relationship between physicians and industry.

Keywords:
*analysis/relationship between medical profession and industry/bioethics/source of information/conflict of interest/continuing medical education/CME/sponsored symposia & conferences/gift giving/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: HEALTH PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS