This week in a story in Inside Higher Education titled: Conflict with My Interest they outline the need for an organization like the Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators has in bringing the debate back to patient care.
When the issue is conflicts of interest in biomedical research, debate is generally centered not on whether to regulate but how much to regulate. Yet while state legislatures, medical schools and health care associations weigh in with varying ideas for oversight of doctors and their drug-rep-provided free lunches, one Harvard professor of medicine is organizing an opposing army.
Thomas Stossel, the American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, is spearheading a new nonprofit professional organization that is, according to Stossel’s preliminary description, “to be a forum for what we believe is a hitherto silent majority of individuals engaged in clinical service, medical education and medical innovation ready to oppose a small but well organized and well-funded coterie responsible for an anti-industry movement.”
The Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators (ACRE), slated to hold its charter conference this month, will be led by a steering committee consisting of physicians from Harvard Medical School, the State University of New York Downstate and the Mayo Clinic;
So far, funding for ACRE has been covered completely out of pocket, though Stossel said he welcomes industry participation and support. The tentative schedule for July’s meeting includes more than two dozen speakers – doctors, industry representatives, health and patient association officials — and topics range from policy explanation to the value of collaboration between medicine and industry (for which, of course, Stossel makes no apologies).
A little history on ACRE:
Tom Stossle, MD and Tom Sullivan became friends over their mutual puzzlement concerning the regulatory jihad imposing radical conflict of interest regulations on all aspects of medicine in the absence of empiric evidence to justify such action.
One Tom happens to be an academic physician-scientist and the other happens to be a principal of science-based medical communications company that produces educational programs for doctors that are often sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
They along with several physicians from around the country saw the need for medical professionals to stand up for their rights to work with industry and the benefit that those relationships have had on patient care.
They happen to think that their track records of integrity trump concerns about any perceived financial conflicts of interest.
As the organization has grown, we now have many renown physicians actively involved in this effort and in the future look forward to even more participation from the field.
As stated in the article, all funds for ACRE have come from the founders own pockets, the conference is not supported by grants from industry, speakers are traveling covering their own expenses. These actions reflect the strong belief by the speakers that collaboration with industry benefits their patients and society.
ACRE which several months ago was just a dream is now a reality and this must have the other side shaking in their boots, the silent majority will no longer remain silent.
if you would like to join this effort, you can do so by registering for the conference or becoming a member.
The meeting is July 23rd, Bornstein Amphitheater, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
To Register or for more information: www.acreonline.org
Inside Higher Education: Conflict with My Interest