[Conflicts of interest: a concept often (voluntary) ignored by physicians]

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Research Integrity

Context:

• Conflicts of interest (COI) arise when physicians' professional duties are compromised by competing personal or financial interests.
• These can be direct (e.g., gifts, fees) or indirect (e.g., institutional ties), and also non-financial (e.g., peer review bias).
• The pharmaceutical industry's influence on COI is a significant area of concern, potentially impacting research publication and data access.

Purpose:

• To review the existing literature on physician conflicts of interest.
• To identify the main biases and errors associated with undeclared conflicts.
• To discuss measures for reducing the impact of COI, emphasizing declaration.

Summary:

• This review examines various types of physician conflicts of interest, including financial and non-financial.
• It highlights how these conflicts, particularly those with the pharmaceutical industry, can lead to publication restrictions and data access issues.
• The article discusses physicians' reluctance to disclose COI and the associated biases and errors.

Impact:

• Promoting transparency in medical research and practice.
• Ensuring unbiased patient care and objective scientific findings.
• Establishing robust conflict of interest disclosure policies to maintain public trust.