澳大利亚邦德大学Ray Moynihan团队分析了美国有影响力的专业医学协会负责人与企业之间的财务关系。该研究发表在2020年5月27日出版的《英国医学杂志》上。

为了探讨美国有影响力的专业医学协会负责人与制药和设备公司之间财务关系的性质和程度，研究组设计了一项横断面研究。根据美国医疗保健研究与质量局的数据，选择了全美TOP10最昂贵疾病领域的专业协会。2017-19年协会领导层的财务数据从“开放付款”数据库中获得。

10个专业医学协会分别为：美国心脏病学院、骨伤科协会、美国精神病学协会、内分泌学会、美国风湿病学院、美国临床肿瘤学会、美国胸腔学会、北美脊柱学会、美国传染病学会和美国医师学院，包括董事会成员在内，共有328位负责人。

328位负责人中有235位（72％）与企业有财务联系。在293名医生或骨病医生中，235人（80%）有财务联系。2017-19年度负责人的总薪酬接近1.3亿美元，每位负责人的中位薪酬为31805美元。包括咨询费和招待费在内的一般性费用为2480万美元，研究性支出为1.046亿美元，主要支付给学术机构，协会负责人被称为主要研究人员。各协会之间的差异很大：平均费用从美国精神病学协会负责人的212美元到美国临床肿瘤学会负责人的518000美元不等。

总之，有影响力的美国专业医学协会负责人与企业之间存在着广泛的财务关系，尽管各协会之间存在差异。支付金额引发了公众对独立性和廉洁性的质疑，加重了政策改革的呼声。

附：英文原文

Title: Financial ties between leaders of influential US professional medical associations and industry: cross sectional study

Author: Ray Moynihan, Loai Albarqouni, Conrad Nangla, Adam G Dunn, Joel Lexchin, Lisa Bero

Issue&Volume: 2020/05/27

Abstract: Objective To investigate the nature and extent of financial relationships between leaders of influential professional medical associations in the United States and pharmaceutical and device companies.

Design Cross sectional study.

Setting Professional associations for the 10 costliest disease areas in the US according to the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Financial data for association leadership, 2017-19, were obtained from the Open Payments database.

Population 328 leaders, such as board members, of 10 professional medical associations: American College of Cardiology, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, American Psychiatric Association, Endocrine Society, American College of Rheumatology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Thoracic Society, North American Spine Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American College of Physicians.

Main outcome measures Proportion of leaders with financial ties to industry in the year of leadership, the four years before and the year after board membership, and the nature and extent of these financial relationships.

Results 235 of 328 leaders (72%) had financial ties to industry. Among 293 leaders who were medical doctors or doctors of osteopathy, 235 (80%) had ties. Total payments for 2017-19 leadership were almost $130m (￡103m; €119m), with a median amount for each leader of $31805 (interquartile range $1157 to $254272). General payments, including those for consultancy and hospitality, were $24.8m and research payments were $104.6m—predominantly payments to academic institutions with association leaders named as principle investigators. Variation was great among the associations: median amounts varied from $212 for the American Psychiatric Association leaders to $518000 for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Conclusions Financial relationships between the leaders of influential US professional medical associations and industry are extensive, although with variation among the associations. The quantum of payments raises questions about independence and integrity, adding weight to calls for policy reform.

DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m1505

Source: https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1505