Northwestern University Discloses Financial Interests of Faculty

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine recently agreed to disclose financial relationships between faculty and drug and device makers.

The new policy, which the medical school calls “enhanced faculty profiles” on its web site, now includes external professional and industry relationships for about 2,000 full and part-time faculty members, including physicians and basic research scientists. A copy of the conflict of interest policy can be found here.

Included in the details of enhanced faculty profiles are service and membership on boards of directors, consulting and related activities, ownership or investment interests, royalties and inventor shares. These profiles will also list lectures as well as participation in scientific advisory boards and professional societies.

In a statement released by J. Larry Jameson, Vice President for Medical Affairs and the Lewis Landsberg Dean of the Feinberg School, he noted that the new profiles will help the university stay “committed to the transparency of these relationships.” He also recognized the importance of avoiding potential conflicts of interest, but also indicated that the activities being reported “enhance our ability to pursue our mission of educating and training the next generation of physicians and scientists and of advancing science to the benefit of patients and society.”

Dean of Regulatory Affairs Robert Rose, M.D., also stated that the guidelines were established because the University “firmly believes that the clarity achieved by full disclosure is necessary both to inform the public of all the professional activities of our faculty and to maintain its trust that we are fulfilling our missions to advance research and education and provide exceptional patient care."

Northwestern joins other medical schools such as the Cleveland Clinic in disclosing the interest of physicians; this is a much more reasoned approach than outright bans on promotional speaking and consulting that several schools have undertaken.