Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15967

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

Wagner W, McGarity T.
Regulatory reinforcement of journal conflict of interest disclosures: How could disclosure of interests work better in medicine, epidemiology and public health?
J Epidemiol Community Health 2009; 63:(8):606-607
http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/63/8/606?etoc

Abstract:

A variety of economic and ideological forces threaten the integrity of public health research.1–4 In response, the editors of the top biomedical journals now require conflict of interest disclosures for submissions. Their increasingly extensive disclosure policies have resulted in some progress towards protecting the integrity of public health research by disclosing for readers potential sources of author bias.5 6

Yet the journal editors appear to be reaching the limits of what they can realistically accomplish. Letters to the editor reporting undisclosed conflicts,7 editorial retractions of non-compliant articles8 and occasional news scandals9 10 are still far too common. Several empirical studies have also confirmed problematic levels of author non-compliance with journal disclosure policies.11 12 And journal editors themselves seem frustrated by the scope of the conflicts problem and their limitations in addressing it. As Catherine DeAngelis, editor-in-chief of JAMA, explained: “I’m not the F.B.I.” and cannot look “in the hearts, minds and souls . . .