Healthy Skepticism Library item: 13474

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

Antonuccio DO, Healy D.
Moving beyond depression: The researcher’s credo
BMJ 2008 Mar 22; 336:(7645):629
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/336/7645/629

Abstract:

Lenzer and Brownlee hit the nail on the head regarding the important issue of data access.1 We owe all human subjects who volunteer for behavioural and medical research more than they have been getting. For years, the top scientific journals have required that all clinical trials be publicly registered before data collection begins, in order to be eligible for publication. This was an important step designed to reduce publication bias, but it did not go far enough. The recent FDA Amendments Act mandating public access to data summaries is another step in the right direction, but, as Lenzer and Brownlee say, this too may not go far enough. Several examples from the psychopharmacology literature have shown that nothing short of total public access to raw human subject data on efficacy and safety will be enough to ensure that data are independently and thoroughly evaluated.2 3 Issues of distorted or selective publication . . .

oliver2@aol.com