Conflicts of interest in research: is clinical decision-making compromised? An opinion paper

Lack of transparency in funded research can compromise clinical decision-making in an evidence-based practice. Transparency can be defined as full disclosure of all financial assistance and support to authors and investigators. There is a perception that ethical principles are eroding and that research data can be biased due to conflicts of interest. These research outcomes biased or not, are used for clinical decision-making in the evidence-based practice. One suggested solution to this common ethical dilemma is to continue the dialogue on transparency in research and to create oversight bodies which include representatives from business and industry, private practice, academia, and research. There is increasing evidence of the need for more ethics education at all levels.