[Patient attitudes and expectations towards conflicts of interest of attending physicians]

Patients can truly expect to be treated by their physicians without undue influences of secondary interests. It is not known what patients in Germany know about relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry and if and how they want to be informed about these relationships.

An information sheet explaining conflicts of interest and a 19-item questionnaire were distributed to 765 patients at various medical offices and hospitals in two German cities. 80 % (n=612) of the patients completed and returned the questionnaires anonymously.

65 % of the patients did not know of conflicts of interest (COI) doctors may have with the pharmaceutical industry. 74 % of the patients would like to know if their doctor had obtained any benefits through contacts with the pharmaceutical industry. 71 % agreed that a disclosure would increase their confidence, and 74 % wanted their physicians to declare COI verbally to them during a consultation. 40 % would prefer a doctor who is not receiving any benefits from the pharmaceutical industry. The desire for disclosure was significantly higher in patients who had an awareness of the problems of COI (OR 4.95; 95 % CI 3.33 - 7.35). However, 35 % of the patients trusted their attending physicians anyway and did not see a need for disclosure of any COI.

The majority of patients, but not all patients want to be informed about COI of their physicians. The best way to do this has yet to be determined.