What Should Physician-Researchers Tell Patient-Subjects About Their Relationships With Industry?

An investigator's personal financial interest in technology under investigation or in the company sponsoring the research is a clear conflict of interest (COI). Such financial relationships are common, and ethical questions rightly emerge about COIs' capacity to compromise an investigator's approaches to research. This commentary on a case suggests that COI disclosure is appropriate during the process of facilitating patient-subjects' informed consent because it promotes informed decision making and motivates transparency. But COI disclosures are not always efficacious, nor are they sufficient to address the problem of research bias. This commentary argues that mitigation or elimination of COIs is a more effective strategy than disclosure.