Attitudes Towards Conflicts of Interest in Medical Research: A Survey of US Medical Students

Research America. U.S. Investments in medical and health research and development. 2016–2020. https://www.researchamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ResearchAmerica-Investment-Report.Final_.January-2022-1.pdf. Accessed 1 Mar 2023.

Gagnon MA, Lexchin J. The cost of pushing pills: a new estimate of pharmaceutical promotion expenditures in the United States. PLoS Med. 2008;5(1): e1. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050001.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Finkel KJ, Takata ET, Maffeo-Mitchell CL, et al. Manufacturer financial conflicts of interest are associated with favourable outcomes in randomised controlled trials of liposomal bupivacaine. Br J Anaesth. 2022;129(4):e90–3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.06.032.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Davari M, Khorasani E, Tigabu BM. Factors influencing prescribing decisions of physicians: a review. Ethiop J Health Sci. 2018;28(6):795–804. https://doi.org/10.4314/ejhs.v28i6.15.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Fickweiler F, Fickweiler W, Urbach E. Interactions between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry generally and sales representatives specifically and their association with physicians’ attitudes and prescribing habits: a systematic review. BMJ Open. 2017;7(9):e016408. Published 2017 Sep 27. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016408.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Katz D, Caplan AL, Merz JF. All gifts large and small: toward an understanding of the ethics of pharmaceutical industry gift-giving. Am J Bioeth. 2010;10(10):11–7. https://doi.org/10.1162/15265160360706552.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Price S, O’Donoghue A, Rizzo L, Sapru S, Aikin K. What influences healthcare providers’ prescribing decisions? Results from a national survey. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021;17(10):1770–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.01.012.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wazana A. Physicians and the pharmaceutical industry: is a gift ever just a gift? JAMA. 2000;283(3):373–80. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.3.373.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wood SF, Podrasky J, McMonagle MA, Raveendran J, Bysshe T, Hogenmiller A, et al. Influence of pharmaceutical marketing on Medicare prescriptions in the District of Columbia. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(10): e0186060. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186060.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Fabbri A, Lai A, Grundy Q, Bero LA. The influence of industry sponsorship on the research agenda: a scoping review. Am J Public Health. 2018;108(11):e9–16. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304677.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice; Lo B, Field MJ, editors. Conflict of interest in medical research, education, and practice. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22940/. Accessed 23 Jan 2023.

Lee K, Bacchetti P, Sim I. Publication of clinical trials supporting successful new drug applications: a literature analysis. PLoS Med. 2008;5(9): e191. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0050191.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Lundh A, Lexchin J, Mintzes B, Schroll JB, Bero L. Industry sponsorship and research outcome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;2(2):MR000033. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.MR000033.pub3.

Article  Google Scholar 

Baskir E, Athauda G, Zeiarati GN, Kashan SB, Camps-Romero E, Gillis M. Active learning to promote early and effective physician interaction with pharmaceutical industry marketing practices. Med Sci Educ. 2020;30(2):727–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00943-y.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Kao AC, Braddock C 3rd, Clay M, et al. Effect of educational interventions and medical school policies on medical students’ attitudes toward pharmaceutical marketing practices: a multi-institutional study. Acad Med. 2011;86(11):1454–62. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e3182303895.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Wilkes MS, Hoffman JR. An innovative approach to educating medical students about pharmaceutical promotion. Acad Med. 2001;76(12):1271–7. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200112000-00026.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Yeh JS, Austad KE, Franklin JM, et al. Medical schools’ industry interaction policies not associated with trainees’ self-reported behavior as residents: results of a national survey. J Grad Med Educ. 2015;7(4):595–602. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-15-00029.1.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Kirschner NM, Sulmasy LS, Kesselheim AS. Health policy basics: the physician payment sunshine act and the open payments program. Ann Intern Med. 2014;161(7):519–21. https://doi.org/10.7326/M14-1303.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Austad KE, Avorn J, Kesselheim AS. Medical students’ exposure to and attitudes about the pharmaceutical industry: a systematic review. PLoS Med. 2011;8(5): e1001037. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001037.

Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Hyman PL, Hochman ME, Shaw JG, Steinman MA. Attitudes of preclinical and clinical medical students toward interactions with the pharmaceutical industry. Acad Med. 2007;82(1):94–9. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ACM.0000249907.88740.ef.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Sierles FS, Brodkey AC, Cleary LM, et al. Medical students’ exposure to and attitudes about drug company interactions: a national survey. JAMA. 2005;294(9):1034–42. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.9.1034.

Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Civaner MM. A follow-up study on the effects of an educational intervention against pharmaceutical promotion. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(10): e0240713. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240713.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Bellin M, McCarthy S, Drevlow L, Pierach C. Medical students’ exposure to pharmaceutical industry marketing: a survey at one U.S. medical school. Acad Med. 2004;79(11):1041–5. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200411000-00005.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Fein EH, Vermillion ML, Uijtdehaage SH. Pre-clinical medical students’ exposure to and attitudes toward pharmaceutical industry marketing. Med Educ Online. 2007;12(1):4465. https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v12i.4465.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

McDonnell JM, Dalton DM, Ahern DP, Welch-Phillips A, Butler JS. Methods to mitigate industry influence in industry sponsored research. Clin Spine Surg. 2021;34(4):143–5. https://doi.org/10.1097/BSD.0000000000001098.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Mecca JT, Gibson C, Giorgini V, Medeiros KE, Mumford MD, Connelly S. Researcher perspectives on conflicts of interest: a qualitative analysis of views from academia. Sci Eng Ethics. 2015;21(4):843–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-014-9580-6.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Krimsky S. The funding effect in science and its implications for the judiciary. 13 J. L. & Pol'y. 2005. Available at: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/jlp/vol13/iss1/4. Accessed 17 Apr 2023.

Sterne JAC, Savović J, Page MJ, et al. RoB 2: a revised tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ. 2019;366: l4898.

Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Higgins J, Altman D, Gotzsche P, et al. The Cochrane collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized trials. BMJ. 2011;343:1–9.

Article  Google Scholar 

Price J, Price D, Williams G, Hoffenberg R. Changes in medical student attitudes as they progress through a medical course. J Med Ethics. 1998;24(2):110–7. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.24.2.110.

Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Farah S, Bilszta JL. Teaching medical students how to interact with the pharmaceutical industry: a scoping review. GMS J Med Educ. 2022;39(5):Doc57. https://doi.org/10.3205/zma00157.

Article  Google Scholar 

Comments (0)

No login
gif