On the national boards and committees on which I have served, it was required to disclose ALL potential conflicts, no matter how remote. Ownership of stock, bonds, any potential speaking fees, possible company ownership, product development reimbursement, future potential revenues from dividends or possible future ownership, any legal fees for consulting, expert witnessing, working for a medical board, speaking fees for anything even remotely medically related, etc. You should see the NASS disclosures.....very very exhaustive.
Carragee has done a good job at NASS. But unfortunately, we don't have anyone of his character - that I'm aware of - at the AAPM.
The Spine Journal Announces Editorial Changes to Protect Scientific Integrity and Public Trust
Four-Tiered Review Process and New Disclosure Requirements Are Among Changes
(Burr Ridge, IL) After shining a critical light on the limitations of industry-sponsored, published research in its June focus issue on recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2), The Spine Journal has announced changes to its own editorial processes. The modifications are designed to protect the integrity of scientific publishing.
Each year, millions of large and small medical decisions are influenced by the findings of clinical research published in journals such as The Spine Journal, said Editor in Chief, Eugene J. Carragee, MD of the Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA. Therefore, it is absolutely critical to a patients well-being that the information published in medical journals be accurate and transparent.
In keeping with this philosophy, The Spine Journal outlined changes in an editorial titled Future directions for The Spine Journal: managing and reporting conflict of interest issues. The papers authors are: Eugene J. Carragee, MD of the Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA; Eric Hurwitz, DC, PhD of the University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI; Bradley K. Weiner, MD of The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX; and Christopher M. Bono, MD of Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA.
The Spine Journal will make the following modifications to its already-rigorous editorial and publication processes:
Manuscripts will be reviewed and vetted by four tiers of evaluators: peer review; review and comment by deputy editors by subject area; review and comment by the Evidence and Methods deputy editor; and a final review by the editor in chief. At all tiers, close attention will be paid to methodological rigor, the proper reporting of sources of error and potential bias, and appropriate interpretation of results in light of the studys strengths and limitations.
Where appropriate in systematic reviews or evidence-based guidelines reports,
appropriate adjustment for financial interest and industry sponsorship should be included in the analysis of strength of evidence.
Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines will be required for reporting results of randomized or controlled trials.
Complication rates in clinical studies will include an estimate of precision for safety analysis and should follow the CONSORT guidelines for reporting harms.
Strict rules for the entire editorial team have been implemented on the types of relationships they can have, from speakers bureau participation to royalties to fellowships.
The disclosures will be published for public review, including dollar amounts in ranges.
Possibly the most innovative change is that funding sources (and the actual dollar amounts) and topic-specific conflict of interest (COI) of authors will be reported in the Methods section in clinical research studies.
Conflicts and the role of potential biases are vital to evaluating the strength of a study and its evidence, said Dr. Carragee. They should be front and center with the study, where readers can readily view and consider them.
The intention of this new direction is not to limit readers access to new information or to preclude investigators who have financial interests from publishing their work, but to provide transparency and a more balanced context. The reader of a clinical study now will be able to make an informed judgment about the articles results and conclusions from the descriptions at hand, including the studys design, conduct, data, analysis, strengths and limitations, including the sponsors and authors potential financial biases. Ultimately, these measures will enhance the quality and fairness of reviews and improve the quality of manuscripts published in The Spine Journal.
The Spine Journal is an international, multidisciplinary journal that publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on research and treatment related to the spine and spine care, including basic science and clinical investigations. Published online continuously and printed monthly by Elsevier, Inc, The Spine Journal is the scientific publication of the North American Spine Society (NASS). NASS adheres to a policy of editorial independence for the journals editorial board, which follows guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, Committee on Publication Ethics and other best editorial practices. The Spine Journal recently earned an Impact Factor of 3.024, making it the top-rated spine publication in the world.