Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research
Slashdot It! Slashdot New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research
Submit to Reddit Submit New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research to Reddit
Reading: New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical ResearchTwitter This Reading: New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical ResearchTwitter New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research
Add to Facebook Add New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research to Facebook

New Study on Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Participation in Medical Research

October 06, 2008

Baltimore, MD. - Knowing how an investigator is paid for running a research study surprisingly plays a small role in patients' willingness to take part in clinical trials. However, according to a new Johns Hopkins University study more participants are troubled when they are told that the investigator could profit or lose money depending on the results.

In an effort to learn more about the effects of disclosing an investigator's financial interests on potential study participants, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Duke University Medical Center, and Wake Forest University surveyed 470 patients from an outpatient cardiology clinic. Each of these patients, who were diagnosed with coronary artery disease, agreed to go through a consent process over the phone for a hypothetical clinical trial.




The study, published in the October issue of the American Heart Journal, found that simply revealing an investigator's financial interest in a study does little to affect the patient's decisions to enroll in a hypothetical clinical trial. What the study did find was that patients were more concerned about certain types of financial interests, especially when the investigator owned stock in the company financing the study.

"Disclosure of investigators' financial interests in research does not substantially affect a person's willingness to participate," says Jeremy Sugarman, M.D., senior author of the study and Harvey M. Meyerhoff Professor of Bioethics and Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, however, "ethically it's important that the patient's 'right to know' is respected before they consent to enroll in research."

"What seems to be important in the decision-making process was the patients' pre-existing level of trust in medical research in general," says Dr. Kevin Weinfurt, a medical psychologist at Duke and the lead author of the study.

The team of researchers first assessed the patients' overall level of trust in medical research. Investigators then randomly assigned them to one of three disclosure groups: Members of one group were told the clinic involved in the study would receive per capita payments per enrollee that would be used to cover the costs of the trial, including the doctor's salary. Participants in a second group were told that the investigator held stock in the company sponsoring the research. There were no disclosure statements made to members of the third group.

When asked how likely they would be to join a clinical trial, members of all three groups expressed a moderate degree of willingness to do so. Still, there were some important differences between the groups.

Patients who heard about stock ownership were less willing than those in the other two groups to indicate that they would participate in the study. In addition, they spontaneously offered three times the number of negative comments about the relationship than participants in the other groups, using words like, "disingenuous," "unacceptable," and "unethical." In addition, ten members of the group that were told about stock ownership in the company sponsoring the trial, spontaneously said they would not take part in the trial compared with only one such comment from the other two groups.

In general, members of the per capita group felt that a financial arrangement that helped cover costs of the trial was acceptable, saying, "OK, that sounds more appropriate. So there's no payment to him, but through the university. OK, I'm good."

But some members in the group that was told about stock ownership found positive things to say about that arrangement, too. One person volunteered that "It looks like he'd have this real incentive for this thing to go real well, and I guess that's all to the good."

"The findings of this study make it clear that policy makers need to continue to address the issue of conflicts of interest in research conducted by investigators who stand to profit from the results of clinical trials," says Sugarman. When it comes to financial disclosure between investigators and research participants Sugarman says, "Policy makers may want to consider more restrictive policies for equity relationships than for other financial interests in research."

It's important to note that participants in the study were disproportionately middle-to higher income white men, and the researchers say lower income participants from other racial groups might feel differently about financial relationships between researchers and sponsoring companies.

The study was funded by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Other researchers involved in the study include Joelle Friedman, Chantelle Hardy, Alice Fortune-Greely, Janice Lawlor, Jennifer Allsbrook, Li Lin and Kevin Schulman, of Duke, and Mark Hall, from Wake Forest University.

Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics





Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
Contraception   Intestinal Bacteria   Tibetan Plateau   Cosmic Dust   ADHD   Newborn Screening   Television   Hemophilia   Nanoparticle   Stardust   Malaria Vaccine   Contact Lenses   Myopia   Drug Resistance   Search Engine   Immunization   Pollution   Infectious Diseases   Plant Growth   Carotid endarterectomy   Enceladus   Genomes   Evolution   Neurodegeneration   Robotic Surgery  
Related Medical Research Current Events and Medical Research News Articles Medical Research Current Events and Medical Research News RSS Medical Research Current Events and Medical Research News RSS
Second gene linked to familial testicular cancer
Specific variations or mutations in a particular can gene raise a man's risk of familial, or inherited, testicular germ-cell cancer, the most common form of this disease.

New test can detect both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities in embryos
One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis.

New nanoparticles could revolutionize therapeutic drug discovery
A revolutionary new protein stabilisation technique has been developed by scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) which could lead to 30 per cent more proteins being available as potential targets for drug development - opening up exciting possibilities in drug discovery.

MicroRNAs help control HIV life cycle
Scientists at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have discovered that specific microRNAs (non-coding RNAs that interfere with gene expression) reduce HIV replication and infectivity in human T-cells.

ATS, ERS jointly issue asthma assessment guidelines
The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society have released official standards for clinical trials and practice with respect to the assessment of asthma.

Anti-inflammatory drugs may defeat a treatment-resistant type of cancer
Effective drugs for treating a chemotherapy-resistant form of lymphoma might already be on the market according to a study that has pieced together a chemical pathway involved in the disease.

Antibiotics take toll on beneficial microbes in gut
It's common knowledge that a protective navy of bacteria normally floats in our intestinal tracts. Antibiotics at least temporarily disturb the normal balance.

'Cannabis alters human DNA' -- new study
A new study published by University of Leicester researchers has found "convincing evidence" that cannabis smoke damages DNA in ways that could potentially increase the risk of cancer development in humans.

New data demonstrate potential for early detection of Alzheimer's disease
Data published in the June issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease demonstrated that minimally-invasive biospectroscopy was able to identify changes in oxidative stress (OS) levels in blood plasma, which may prove to be a useful biomarker in the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Another McGill/JGH breakthrough opens door to early Alzheimer's diagnosis
A new diagnostic technique which may greatly simplify the detection of Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by researchers at McGill University and the affiliated Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital (JGH).
More Medical Research Current Events and Medical Research News Articles
The Design of Studies for Medical Research

The Design of Studies for Medical Research
by David Machin (Author), Michael J. Campbell (Author)

The same careful rigour imposed on the design of phase III randomised controlled trials is not always applied to medical research in other areas such as trials conducted at earlier stages of drug development. 

With the emphasis that is now placed on evidence-based medicine, such care and rigour will inevitably impact on these areas with increasing attention turned to the quality of design. 

This title describes what principles can be used to structure research effectively allowing for the required degree of accuracy.

Written by two best selling authors, this book includes many examples from medical literature and will be of great value to all groups conducting studies at the interface of clinical and laboratory research.



Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers

Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers
by McGraw-Hill - A

Provides a complete course in biomedical writing for class use or self-study. Assists mainly new authors to understand what a well written scientific research paper is, by means of example. Introduces them to principles of clear writing, as applied specially to scientific research papers. Gives specific guidelines (rather than general advice) for constructing the four main sections of a scientific research paper (Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion).

Physician Assistant's Guide to Research And Medical Literature

Physician Assistant's Guide to Research And Medical Literature
by J. Dennis Blessing (Editor)

Scientific research is the basis of all modern health care, so physician assistant students and PAs in practice must be able to interpret medical literature and apply it to their own situation. In addition, managed care demands that PAs be able to demonstrate the quality and cost-effectiveness of the care they provide. And rising expectations are leading more and more PA students and educators to perform research for a master's degree or career advancement.

New! Chapters covering evidence-based medicine, clinical research and grant writing

Coltox Dual Action System, Internal Purifier and Total Body Cleanser - 30 Day Supply

Coltox Dual Action System, Internal Purifier and Total Body Cleanser - 30 Day Supply
by Richmond Medical Research

Internal Purifier (Phase 1) Coltox Internal Purifier (Phase 1) has been scientifically formulated to promote gentle and effective internal cleansing and detoxification while eliminating parasites and dangerous toxins. Coltox's precise combination of natural herbs and fibers will effectively balance and regulate your body for optimal health. Only all-natural veggie caps are used in the Coltox system because when cleansing and purifying the body you want to stay away from gelatin capsules which are made from animal by-products. Total Body Cleanser (Phase 2) Coltox Total Body Cleanser (Phase 2) was scientifically formulated to work synergistically with the Internal Purifier (Phase 1) to increase energy levels, promote overall weight loss, better physical health, and improve healing...

2007 Global Conference: Public/Private Partnerships: Innovation in Medical Research

2007 Global Conference: Public/Private Partnerships: Innovation in Medical Research

Drug development is not just for the big pharmaceutical companies anymore. Some of the most innovative work in drug development is being done where you least expect it: at nonprofit disease research groups. This panel from the 2007 Milken Institute Global Conference profiled some of the organizations that lead this trend and highlighted the benefits of these new industry/nonprofit collaborations. It's information you won't want to miss.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Merriam Webster Medical Desk Dictionary

Merriam Webster Medical Desk Dictionary
by JC Research

A Comprehensive and easy-to-use guide to the language of Medicine. Information on: AIDS biochemistry psychiatry and geriatic medicine.System Requirements:PC Pentium or equivalent CD-ROM drive (2x or faster) 640x480 VGA (SVGA 256 colors recommended) Mouse & Sound Card Speakers 4 MB 75 MB Hard DriveFormat: WIN 9598MENT2000XP/MAC 8.1-9.X (CLASSIC)X10 Genre: REFERENCE / LIFESTYLE Age: 798694895629 UPC: 798694895629 Manufacturer No: 95629

  Medical Research Council Annual Report - UK
by Medical Research Council

Contains details of MRC activities and achievements in research, partnerships with other organizations, training and career development, knowledge transfer, and public engagement.

Eleotin Mb (Metabolism) Capsules

Eleotin Mb (Metabolism) Capsules
by Eastwood Bio-Medical Research, Inc.

Eleotin® improves the general health of the whole body. It is made from dried roots, stems, fruits, and leaves, from various plants. The herbal plants are all registered with pharmacopoeias and food codes in several countries. All of the material used is 100% natural without any fillers or preservatives. Eleotin® had started as a safe diabetes product, but soon many experts started to notice the safety of the Eleotin® technology, and recommended it to be applied to the weight loss programs. After all, the control of blood glucose is intimately related to the weight control issue. Recommended by Kevin Trudeau in The Weight Loss Cure. Eleotin Gold is recommended for Diabetes.

  1996 Patient Symposium-Dystonia Medical Research Foundation-Tape 1
Also With: President Dennis Kessler (Primary Contributor)



Medical Research Institute - No2 Platinum, 180 caplets

Medical Research Institute - No2 Platinum, 180 caplets
by Medical Research Institute

The product that started it all. "Perpetual Pumps." Hemodilation. "Flash Recoveries". NO2 introduced a whole new vocabulary within the sports nutrition world. NO2 broke all the sales record at the worlds #1 vitamin retailer. NO2 created an entire category of nitric oxide knock-offs. In fact, most people refer to nitric oxide as "NO2" products. The accolades go on and on. Why? Because NO2 works. And it always has. You see, the difference between NO2 and every other product that came before it (and the copycats that came after) is the patented pHylex9 extended-release delivery technology that Ed Byrd (MRI Founder) applied to Arginine - AKG (not just L-arginine). It took Ed years to perfect the original Platinum formula. Pumps that last all day. Muscle recovery that begins the same day you...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com