Patients expect transparency in doctors' relationships with the pharmaceutical industry.
OBJECTIVE
To seek the views of patients attending general practice about doctors' interactions with the pharmaceutical industry and their wishes for disclosure of this information.


METHODS
906 patients attending three general practices in metropolitan Sydney during October -November 2007 completed an 18-item anonymous survey exploring their perceptions of doctors' competing interests.


RESULTS
Most patients (76%) were unaware of any relationship their doctor may have with pharmaceutical companies. Patients wanted to know if their doctor obtained any benefits in cash or kind from the pharmaceutical industry (71%), financial incentives for research participation (69%) or sponsorship to attend conferences (61%). Most agreed that disclosure of competing interests by doctors is important (84%), believing this disclosure would help patients make better informed treatment decisions (78%). Eighty per cent of patients stated that they would have more confidence in their doctor's decisions if interests were fully disclosed, with strong support for verbal disclosure during the consultation (78%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients are currently not aware of their doctors' competing interests but do want to know of doctors' interactions with the pharmaceutical industry, indicating that disclosure of competing interests would improve their confidence in doctors' decisions.
Tattersall
Martin H N
MH
Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. mtatt@med.usyd.edu.au
Dimoska
Aneta
A
Gan
Kevin
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D030881:Disclosure; D004345:Drug Industry; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010819:Physician's Role; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult