Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18175

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

Fava GA
Conflict of Interest and Special Interest Groups
Psychother Psychosom 2001; 70:1-5
http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowFulltext&ArtikelNr=000056218&Ausgabe=228212&ProduktNr=223864

Abstract:

The issue of conflict of interest is attracting increasing attention in medical journals. The notion of conflict of interest is widely used but may entail different meanings. Margolis [1]distinguishes between conflicting interests and conflicts of interest. The former occur in any situation where competing considerations are presumed to be legitimate. Conflicts of interest, on the other hand, are characterized by individual occupying dual roles which should not be performed simultaneously. Because of the potential for abuse, performing both roles at the same time is considered to be inappropriate. Which roles? For instance, being a researcher and holding a financial interest in an area related to the research one is involved in. Despite the growing interest, however, the current debate on conflict of interest in medicine seems to fail to grasp its basic components. Such components emerge from a proper historical consideration of the debate, which may be divided into 3 stages.