title: Patient perspectives on physician conflict of interest in industry-sponsored clinical trials for multiple sclerosis therapeutics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pharmaceutical industry financial support of physicians, physician practices, and academic departments involved in multicenter industry-sponsored clinical trials of novel therapeutic agents is a relatively new and infrequently acknowledged source of potential physician conflict of interest. Detailed disclosure of these relationships to study participants is not uniformly a part of informed consent and documentation practices.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To understand attitudes of patients with multiple sclerosis concerning disclosure of potential physician-industry conflicts of interest created by clinical trials and how such disclosures may influence study participation
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous online instrument was developed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  597 people with multiple sclerosis participated in the study. The study found that detailed disclosure of conflicts of interest is important to potential participants in industry-sponsored clinical trials for multiple sclerosis therapies and that the presence of these conflicts of interest may influence patients' decisions to participate in these studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study support a call for uniform guidelines regarding disclosure of physician-industry relationships to prospective research participants for industry-sponsored clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont College of Medicine, USA andrew.solomon@uvm.edu.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health and Sciences University and Portland VA Medical Center, USA; Department of Philosophy, University of Washington, USA.
authors.forename: Eran P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA; Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Corboy
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, USA.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bernat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000941:ethics*; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000191:economics*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010358:Patient Participation; D018579:Patient Selection / Q000941:ethics*; D010820:Physicians / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; clinical trials; conflict of interest; industry-sponsored clinical trials; professional conduct and ethics