Conflict of interest and the Society for Vascular Surgery

Specialty medical societies such as Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) are instrumental in the development and dissemination of medical knowledge through scientific presentations, publication of rigorously peer-reviewed writings, awarding competitive research and training grants, and the provision of high-quality continuing medical education (CME). It is vital that in these roles the SVS remain in fact and in perception completely free of all influence and bias from industry. While independence from bias has always been necessary, the increasing focus by governmental agencies, industry organizations, and society has made it important for the SVS to address this issue in a formal way. In June 2010, the SVS Board of Directors approved a set of guidelines specifically designed to address management of conflict of interest among its members and its leaders. These guidelines, included in this article, were based on currently available information and policies put forth by legislative bodies, academic medical centers, industry groups, and other professional medical societies, and were designed to safeguard against abuse while maintaining valuable collaboration between vascular surgeons and their industry partners. The guidelines are included in this article.