Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2615

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

Wenger NS, Lieberman JR.
The orthopaedic surgeon and industry. Ethics and industry incentives.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research 2000 September 01; (378):39-43
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10986972http://

Abstract:

Physicians may receive various gifts and incentives from companies that make pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Although such incentives may benefit patients and physicians, they often pose serious conflicts of interest that violate a physician’s professional responsibility. The physician-patient relationship is predicated on the physician acting in the best interest of the patient. The application of medical knowledge to complex clinical circumstances is difficult, even without biased sources of information and internal conflicts attributable to financial incentives. Yet, industry resources often are dedicated to the dissemination of information and incentives aimed to influence decisions not necessarily aimed at the goals of the patient. Physicians often are unaware of the nature of the incentives and commonly deny their demonstrated impact. Any incentive that is designed to impede, rather than enhance, the clinician’s ability to make optimal patient care decisions is unethical for a physician to accept. These incentives should play no role in the practice of orthopaedic surgery.

Keywords:
*analysis United States orthopaedic surgeons relationship between medical profession and industry conflict-of-interest gift giving ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: GIFT GIVING ETHICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTION: LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND INDUSTRY INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: DOCTORS Ethics, Medical* Humans Orthopedics* Physician Incentive Plans* Physician-Patient Relations