NEJM Changes Conflict of Interest Policy Disclosures

January 12, 2009

As cited on GoozNews.com

Health Care Marketplace | New England Journal of MedicineAlters Policies In

Response to Complaints Over Conflicts of Interest

[Jan 09, 2009]

The New England Journal of Medicine changed its procedures regarding

conflict of interest disclosures after a letter by the_Accreditation Council

for

Continuing Medical Education_ (http://www.accme.org/) criticized the

publication for not disclosing a study author's financial conflicts of

interest, the

_New York Times_

reports.

The study in question was conducted in 2006 by Henschke of _Weill

Cornell Medical College_ (http://www.med.cornell.edu/) . The study found that

widespread use of CT scans could prevent 80% of lung cancer deaths. According

to the Times, the study did not disclose that Henschke's work was funded in

part by a $3.6 million grant from the parent company of the _Liggett Group_

(http://www.liggettvectorbrands.com/) , a cigarette maker. NEJM editors said

they were unaware of the connection. Henschke did disclose to NEJM that she

and her university had licensed a CT-related patent to _General Electric_

(http://www.ge.com/) , a maker of CT scanners, but NEJM decided not to disclose

that information to readers.

In a letter published in The Cancer Letter, a cancer research newsletter,

the Accreditation Council wrote that NEJM and its publisher, the _Massachusetts

Medical Society_ (http://www.massmed.org/) , were wrong by failing to

disclose " relevant financial conflicts of interests of the authors. " The

council is

responsible for accrediting educational efforts by NEJM, in which physicians

can receive continuing education credits for reading published studies and

answering related questions.

In a response letter dated Oct. 1, 2008, NEJM officials wrote, " When we

published Dr. Henschke's article in 2006 it was not routine NEJM editorial

policy to publish details about pending patents, " adding, " Since that time our

thinking on this issue has evolved. " According to the Times, NEJM now asks

authors to disclose all patents or royalties related to research and publishes

that information with studies (, New York Times, 1/9).

Sharon Noonan Kramer

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