Thursday, Dec. 09, 2010
Transparency in Medical Research
Hippocrates would have been proud. After receiving a grade of F in an October 2008 report by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) on conflicts of interest, the Harvard Medical School in July announced a groundbreaking new policy requiring full disclosure of the financial interests of its faculty. The purpose of the rule is to help keep profit incentives from shaping medical research. Harvard's decision won plaudits from the AMSA, whose national president, John Brockman, said his organization was "pleased to see Harvard using scientific evidence over marketing and doing what is ultimately the best for patients. We hope to see other medical centers follow this example."