Further insights on institutional conflicts of interest in research settings

摘要

A conflict of interest (COI) is understood to be a situation where a primary interest tends to be unduly influenced by a secondary interest,1 in which the latter may interfere with objectivity of action pertaining to the former. In the research setting, COIs will potentially threaten the integrity of scientific investigations, objectivity of professional education, and overall delivery of care to patients. COIs can be easy to comprehend using personal gain as a point of conflict (personal COI), but are less apparent in institutions focused on academic medicine, when they may emerge as a result of secondary interests that are seen to compromise an institution’s primary goals (institutional COI). In reality, personal COI may be difficult to distinguish from institutional COI, as many senior officials holding several appointments within an academic institution may inadvertently encounter personal COIs.2 Often, it may be onerous to identify a responsible individual or apportion COIs between persons involved with a research project when decisions on institutional COIs are made. It is essential to anticipate, recognize, and reflect on COIs responsibly. Many public institutions mandate regular formal declarations of personal COIs, but mandates become less clear with institutional COIs. Hence, better management of institutional COIs should start by earnestly acknowledging their existence within the entire research community.