Honest Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest Advances Emergency Medicine Scholarship

Patients, clinicians, and policymakers need to trust that conflicts of interest (COI) are appropriately disclosed in all forms of disseminated science, whether it's in the form of a research study, an expert editorial, a review article, or a meeting presentation. Recent high-profile events have renewed the public's attention to the basic procedure and reasons for disclosing COI. Honest and mutually-beneficial partnerships with industry or other funding agencies are vital for the advancement of medicine. Conflicts are inevitable and "could never possibly be eliminated" according to Jeffrey Flier, but a better understanding of the procedure for disclosing COI could reduce misunderstandings associated with COI and change the perception that COI is a dirty word. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.