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Three Easy Steps to Full Disclosure

Paul S. Koch, M.D.

I am not sure where lay the tipping point, but the medical world seems to be agog at a sudden realization that we might need tighter rules governing conflicts of interest. Already, at least eight major c-of-i categories are in place, ranging from travel expenses to consulting fees to royalties to stock ownership. One would think those were enough. If the public demands more disclosure, what else should be declared? Some suggest revealing the details of contracts, amounts paid, patents held, and royalties earned, etc. Bah! They are nosey busybodies seeking juice for gossip.

Still, I would not quarrel if a loyal reader or listener were to ask how much content is actually the professional work of the author or speaker, and how much is coming from a company through its physician representative. If I had to devise a new system for disclosure, I would focus on what I perceive to be most irksome: those who pretend to present their own material when really it is from other sources. I like to know whether the speaker is delivering his or her own information, or whether the speaker is the mouthpiece for a company. I honestly do not care how much a speaker or writer is paid to deliver the goods, only where the goods came from.

Three Questions Would Do It for Me

I might suggest asking those who speak and write and present on commercial products three questions. One: Was at least 75% of the data in your presentation obtained directly by you in your personal studies and investigations, or was at least 25% provided to you from other sources? Falling into this latter category would be the "Here are my ten cases, let's see how they compare to the company's data" talks. Two: Was at least 75% of the slides and their content produced by you for this presentation, or was at least 25% provided to you from other sources? Haven't you wondered why so many talks about the same product show the same background, fonts and illustrations? Three: Did you write at least 75% of this article, or was at least 25% of the article written by someone else and your name put on it? Those are the answers I'd like to have.

My full disclosure: My addled mind generated this column, and my fat little fingers tapped the keyboard. My editor adjusted less than 25% of it, unless it sounds really clever, in which case my editor was working overtime. Good luck in your new career, Desiree. My readers will miss your improvements.