[Openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations]

The past decades in Danish health services have been characterized by limited cooperation between health authorities, health employees, and private corporations. Today, society and legislature acknowledge the need to support this cooperation, which creates a great challenge to hospital management and its responsibility to create and secure strong research environments. This effort is often challenged by the tendency of the media to transform initial conflicts into problems of credibility. Society is also aware of the fact that increased cooperation is important to maintain the ability to develop new and better methods of treatment. It is therefore of vital importance to solve potential conflicts before the media interpret the problems, by encouraging openness in the cooperation between physicians and private corporations.