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Conflict of Interest: What does the science say about industry influence on health care providers?. Kerry Harwood, MSN, RN. Where’s the Science?. Social Science research Anthropologic research Research on Health Care Provider – Industry Relationships.
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Conflict of Interest:What does the science say about industry influence on health care providers? Kerry Harwood, MSN, RN
Where’s the Science? • Social Science research • Anthropologic research • Research on Health Care Provider – Industry Relationships
Would you change your behavior for a free trip to the Bahamas?
Would you change your behavior for a free dinner at the Angus Barn?
Anthropologists who have studied gift exchange…agree that gift giving is always understood as an exchange. Day L. Amer J Crit Care 15(5):510-515, 2006
Any gift, however small, places an obligation on recipients, resulting in unwanted debt. Day, L. Am J Crit Care 5:510-513, 2006 Gift giving is a way of creating and maintaining relationships of power between groups and individuals. Bergquist & Ljungberg. Info Systems J 11:305-320, 2001
What we believe…. • The ‘other guy’ might be influenced by promotions but not me • Information from drug companies doesn’t influence my decisions • ‘Small’ gifts don’t influence health care providers
What industry knows… • ‘Detailing’ is effective in changing prescribing behaviors • Strategically rationed doses of gifts, services, samples, and flattery ensure that physicians most susceptible to marketing prescribe the most expensive, most promoted drugs to the most people possible
Drug Reps • 1995 to 2005, number increased from 38,000 to 100,000 • 1 drug rep for every 6 physicians • 1 drug rep for every 2.5 targeted physicians
Medical Residents • 61% report ‘promotions don’t influence my practice’ • 16% report ‘promotions don’t influence other physicians’ practice’ Steinman MA, et al. Am J Med 110:551-557, 2001
Medical Students • 85% believe it is improper for politicians to accept a gift • 46% believed it would be improper for them to accept a gift of similar value from a pharmaceutical company Palmisano P & Edelstein J. J Med Educ 55:453-455, 1980
Medical Residents • Retrospective study tracked house staff who attended Grand Rounds given by pharmaceutical company speaker • Those who attended were more likely than their colleagues to indicate the company’s drug as the treatment EVEN WHEN THEY DID NOT RECALL WHAT COMPANY SPONSORED THE GRAND ROUNDS Spingarn R, et al. Acad Med 71:86-88, 1996
Outcomes of Industry-Physician Interaction • Knowledge: • Inability to identify wrong claims about medication • Attitude: • Positive attitude toward pharmaceutical representative • Awareness, preference and rapid prescribing of new drug
Outcomes of Industry-Physician Interaction • Behavior • Making formulary requests despite lack of benefit over existing formulary • Non-rational prescribing behavior • Increasing prescribing rate • Prescribing fewer generics and more expensive, newer medications at no demonstrated advantage Wazana A. JAMA 283(3):373-380, 2000
The importance of developing loyalty through gifting cannot be overstated. Michael Oldani, anthropologist and former drug rep
It’s my job to figure out what a physician’s price is. For some it’s dinner at the finest restaurant, for others it’s enough convincing data to let them prescribe confidently and for others it’s my attention and friendship…but at the most basic level, everything is for sale and everything is an exchange. Shahram Ahari, former drug rep
Provision of samples influences prescribing behavior and increases, rather than decreases, costs. Klein, CA, Nurs Pract 31:15, 2006
Bias as a deliberate choice… • Limit gift size • Educational initiatives • Mandatory disclosure of interests
Bias – unintentional & unconscious Limit gift size… • Small gifts may be surprisingly influential by subtly affecting the way the receiver evaluates claims made by the gift giver • Individuals are generally unaware of the bias so do not make efforts to correct for it or avoid conflicts of interest. Dana & Lowenstein. JAMA 290(2):252-255, 2003
Bias – unintentional & unconscious Educational initiatives… • Individuals are not aware of their own bias, even when taught about it • Even when conflict of interest situations are clearly illustrated through case studies, few will exactly replicate the situation enough to mitigate self-serving interpretations. Dana & Lowenstein. JAMA 290(2):252-255, 2003
Bias – unintentional & unconscious Mandatory disclosure of interests… • Can reduce legal liability and forestall more substantial institutional change • May help recipient when they have extensive professional experience & an accurate idea about how the COI will affect their advisors • Can increase the bias in advice due to moral license & ‘need’ to overcome weight of disclosure Cain, DM et al. J Legal Studies 34:1-25, 2005