Select this articleToward More Uniform Conflict Disclosures: The Updated ICMJE Conflict of Interest Reporting Form

摘要

The great variability in the processes that different jour-nnals use to ask about and report authors’ potential con-nflicts of interest creates confusion for authors, readers, andnthe public. To help lessen this confusion, the InternationalnCommittee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) developednan electronic uniform disclosure form and placed it in thenpublic domain in October 2009. The ICMJE membernjournals piloted the form, encouraged other journals to usenit, and invited feedback. We recognized that the reportingnof competing interests is complex and nuanced and some-ntimes contentious, and thus anticipated modifying thenform on the basis of feedback received. We are grateful tonthe many authors, editors, and other interested parties whontook the time to comment on the form and its implemen-ntation. The issues raised ranged from technical problemsnabout the correct deployment of the form (to function, itnrequires the user to download the free Adobe Reader, ver-nsion 8.0 or higher [Adobe Systems, San Jose, California]),nto concerns about the ethics of inquiring about nonfinan-ncial associations. The Committee considered these valuablencomments and revised the form at our most recentnmeeting.