Knowledge of ghostwriting and financial conflicts-of-interest reduces the perceived credibility of biomedical research
Open Access
- 31 January 2011
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in BMC Research Notes
- Vol. 4 (1), 27-6
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-4-27
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While the impact of conflicts-of-interest (COI) is of increasing concern in academic medicine, there is little research on the reaction of practicing clinicians to the disclosure of such conflicts. We developed two research vignettes presenting a fictional antidepressant medication study, one in which the principal investigator had no COI and another in which there were multiple COI disclosed. We confirmed the face validity of the COI vignette through consultation with experts. Hospital-based clinicians were randomly assigned to read one of these two vignettes and then administered a credibility scale. FINDINGS: Perceived credibility ratings were much lower in the COI group, with a difference of 11.00 points (31.42%) on the credibility scale total as calculated through the Mann-Whitney U test (95% CI = 6.99 - 15.00, p < .001). Clinicians in the COI group were also less likely to recommend the antidepressant medication discussed in the vignette (Odds Ratio = 0.163, 95% CI = .03 = 0.875). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, increased disclosure of COI resulted in lower credibility ratings.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- Association between industry affiliation and position on cardiovascular risk with rosiglitazone: cross sectional systematic reviewBMJ, 2010
- Ghostwriting at Elite Academic Medical Centers in the United StatesPLoS Medicine, 2010
- Requirements and Definitions in Conflict of Interest Policies of Medical JournalsJAMA, 2009
- Trust not in moneyBritish Food Journal, 2009
- Key opinion leaders: independent experts or drug representatives in disguise?BMJ, 2008
- Should the drug industry work with key opinion leaders? NoBMJ, 2008
- Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and Its Influence on Apparent EfficacyThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2008
- Ghost Management: How Much of the Medical Literature Is Shaped Behind the Scenes by the Pharmaceutical Industry?PLoS Medicine, 2007
- Spitzer sues drug giant for deceiving doctorsNature, 2004
- Interface between authorship, industry and science in the domain of therapeuticsThe British Journal of Psychiatry, 2003