TY - JOUR
T1 - Ethics, morality, and conflicting interests
T2 - How questionable professional integrity in some scientists supports global corporate influence in public health
AU - Baur, X
AU - Budnik, L
AU - Ruff, K
AU - Egilman, D
AU - Lemen, R
AU - SOSKOLNE, Colin
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Clinical and public health research, education, and medical practice are vulnerable to influence by corporate interests driven by the for-profit motive. Developments over the last 10 years have shown that transparency and self-reporting of corporate ties do not always mitigate bias. In this article, we provide examples of how sound scientific reasoning and evidence-gathering are undermined through compromised scientific enquiry resulting in misleading science, decision-making, and policy intervention. Various medical disciplines provide reference literature essential for informing public, environmental, and occupational health policy. Published literature impacts clinical and laboratory methods, the validity of respective clinical guidelines, and the development and implementation of public health regulations. Said literature is also used in expert testimony related to resolving tort actions on work-related illnesses and environmental risks. We call for increased sensitivity, full transparency, and the implementation of effective ethical and professional praxis rules at all relevant regulatory levels to rout out inappropriate corporate influence in science. This is needed because influencing the integrity of scientists who engage in such activities cannot be depended upon.
AB - Clinical and public health research, education, and medical practice are vulnerable to influence by corporate interests driven by the for-profit motive. Developments over the last 10 years have shown that transparency and self-reporting of corporate ties do not always mitigate bias. In this article, we provide examples of how sound scientific reasoning and evidence-gathering are undermined through compromised scientific enquiry resulting in misleading science, decision-making, and policy intervention. Various medical disciplines provide reference literature essential for informing public, environmental, and occupational health policy. Published literature impacts clinical and laboratory methods, the validity of respective clinical guidelines, and the development and implementation of public health regulations. Said literature is also used in expert testimony related to resolving tort actions on work-related illnesses and environmental risks. We call for increased sensitivity, full transparency, and the implementation of effective ethical and professional praxis rules at all relevant regulatory levels to rout out inappropriate corporate influence in science. This is needed because influencing the integrity of scientists who engage in such activities cannot be depended upon.
KW - Conflict of interest
KW - Corporate ties
KW - Environmental health
KW - Ethics in medical science
KW - Moral dimension of bioscience
KW - Biomedical Research/economics
KW - Public Health
KW - Occupational Health
KW - Humans
KW - Lobbying
KW - Conflict of Interest
KW - Morals
KW - Industry/economics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84937130320&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/ethics-morality-conflicting-interests-questionable-professional-integrity-some-scientists-supports-g
U2 - 10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000103
DO - 10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000103
M3 - Article
C2 - 25730664
SN - 1077-3525
VL - 21
SP - 172
EP - 175
JO - International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 2
ER -