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A randomized study of how physicians interpret research funding disclosures
Aaron S Kesselheim1, Christopher T Robertson, Jessica A Myers
1Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02120, USA. akesselheim@partners.org
The New England Journal of Medicine
|September 21, 2012
Summary
Physicians accurately assess trial rigor but are less likely to prescribe drugs from industry-funded studies. Industry funding negatively impacts perceptions of quality and willingness to prescribe, regardless of actual study rigor.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Clinical Trials
- Pharmaceutical Industry
Background:
- The influence of clinical trial funding on result interpretation remains unclear.
- This study investigates how funding sources affect physician responses to trials of varying methodologic rigor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of clinical trial funding on physician interpretation of results.
- To determine if pharmaceutical industry funding influences physician perception of trial quality and willingness to prescribe.
Main Methods:
- 503 board-certified internists were presented with hypothetical clinical trial abstracts.
- Abstracts varied in methodologic rigor (high, medium, low) and funding source (industry, NIH, none).
- Physicians' perceptions of rigor, confidence, and willingness to prescribe were evaluated.
Main Results:
- Physicians accurately perceived trial rigor.
- Industry funding led to lower perceived rigor, reduced confidence, and decreased willingness to prescribe compared to no funding or NIH funding.
- Willingness to prescribe was significantly lower for industry-funded trials across all rigor levels.
Conclusions:
- Physician judgment is influenced by trial funding source, independent of methodologic quality.
- Industry sponsorship negatively impacts the perceived quality and clinical utility of trial findings.
- These biases may affect the translation of clinical research into practice.
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