Prevention Is the Key in Developing Physician-Industry Relationships

Other Issues to Consider

Along with transparency, other issues that need consideration when working with industry include retaining rights over data as well as adequate and fair compensation. I can’t say enough about how important it is for researchers and institutions to maintain rights over their research data, said Dr. Shah.

As part of this, Dr. Shah emphasized the obligation researchers have to publish negative studies. In general, it is considered anathema in academics to share negative data, he said, but you need to share bad news as well as good news.

Physicians also need to recognize what activities are appropriate for compensation, and what activities are not. For work done that adds value to, for example, developing a medical device or training physicians on how to use an instrument, compensation is valid. The task here is for the physician to determine what is fair market value for his or her services. Dr. Shah, who is a consultant for two competing medical device companies, estimates an hourly fee for his services.

Overall, physicians are urged to become familiar with the AMA guidelines as well as confer with a compliance officer or attorney when working through the details of compensation or any of the other issues pertaining to working with industry.

Additional Resources

Shah UK, Smith GM, Ziv BE, Reilly JS. A warning to physicians: changing landscape of the corporate-provider relationship. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008;138:697-9.

Shah UK, Smith GM, Devaiah A, et al. Corporate-physician relationships: a need for education. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Accepted for publication Oct. 16, 2008.

©2009 The Triological Society