Disclosure: Only a first step

摘要

We applaud CMAJ's recent focus on the importance of disclosing conflicts of interest in medical education and research. However, disclosure is only a first step toward mitigating commercial influence, and too often it is viewed as sufficient. For example, at the last meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, hundreds of presenters disclosed affiliations with commercial supporters. However, attendees considered the sessions "free of commercial bias," with a mean rating of 9.17/10 on this item; the result was celebrated as the product of a "strong focus on conflict of interest and disclosure issues."4