Katherine DeAngelis, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), and author of the paper Professional Medical Associations and Their Relationships with Industry is being investigated by JAMA’s Journal Oversight Committee.
The inquiry was requested by American Medical Association’s (AMA) Board of Trustees as a result of JAMA editorial staff intimidating a small medical school professor and its dean for writing an editorial in the British Medical Journal critical of Dr. DeAngelis’ handling of a failure to disclose a financial relationship investigation.
The AMA Chairman released this statement last Friday:
The American Medical Association is owner and publisher of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and its specialty Archives journals. While we are ultimately responsible for these publications, as most in the medical and journalism professions are aware, these journals are editorially independent of AMA. That means we do not review or interfere in what is printed in these journals.
Recently, concerns have been raised over how JAMA editors addressed a conflict of interest issue brought to light by Professor Jonathan Leo. As owner and publisher of JAMA, we take these concerns very seriously.
In accordance with the Editorial Governance Plan for JAMA, this entire matter is being formally referred to the Journal Oversight Committee (JOC). The AMA is requesting that the JOC examine the concerns related to Professor Leo’s inquiry, and upon completion, present its findings to the AMA Board of Trustees. The AMA Board will give careful consideration to whatever is reported to it by the JOC.
The actions that Dr. DeAngelis recounted in her editorial posted last week show just how out of touch with reality she truly is. Perhaps the oversight committee will come to the same conclusion.
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