TY - JOUR
T1 - A proposed approach may help systematic reviews retain needed expertise while minimizing bias from nonfinancial conflicts of interest
AU - Viswanathan, Meera
AU - Carey, Timothy S.
AU - Belinson, Suzanne E.
AU - Berliner, Elise
AU - Chang, Stephanie M.
AU - Graham, Elaine
AU - Guise, Jeanne Marie
AU - Ip, Stanley
AU - Maglione, Margaret A.
AU - McCrory, Douglas C.
AU - McPheeters, Melissa
AU - Newberry, Sydne J.
AU - Sista, Priyanka
AU - White, C. Michael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2014/11/1
Y1 - 2014/11/1
N2 - Objectives Groups such as the Institute of Medicine emphasize the importance of attention to financial conflicts of interest. Little guidance exists, however, on managing the risk of bias for systematic reviews from nonfinancial conflicts of interest. We sought to create practical guidance on ensuring adequate clinical or content expertise while maintaining independence of judgment on systematic review teams.Study Design and Setting Workgroup members built on existing guidance from international and domestic institutions on managing conflicts of interest. We then developed practical guidance in the form of an instrument for each potential source of conflict.Results We modified the Institute of Medicine's definition of conflict of interest to arrive at a definition specific to nonfinancial conflicts. We propose questions for funders and systematic review principal investigators to evaluate the risk of nonfinancial conflicts of interest. Once risks have been identified, options for managing conflicts include disclosure followed by no change in the systematic review team or activities, inclusion on the team along with other members with differing viewpoints to ensure diverse perspectives, exclusion from certain activities, and exclusion from the project entirely.Conclusion The feasibility and utility of this approach to ensuring needed expertise on systematic reviews and minimizing bias from nonfinancial conflicts of interest must be investigated.
AB - Objectives Groups such as the Institute of Medicine emphasize the importance of attention to financial conflicts of interest. Little guidance exists, however, on managing the risk of bias for systematic reviews from nonfinancial conflicts of interest. We sought to create practical guidance on ensuring adequate clinical or content expertise while maintaining independence of judgment on systematic review teams.Study Design and Setting Workgroup members built on existing guidance from international and domestic institutions on managing conflicts of interest. We then developed practical guidance in the form of an instrument for each potential source of conflict.Results We modified the Institute of Medicine's definition of conflict of interest to arrive at a definition specific to nonfinancial conflicts. We propose questions for funders and systematic review principal investigators to evaluate the risk of nonfinancial conflicts of interest. Once risks have been identified, options for managing conflicts include disclosure followed by no change in the systematic review team or activities, inclusion on the team along with other members with differing viewpoints to ensure diverse perspectives, exclusion from certain activities, and exclusion from the project entirely.Conclusion The feasibility and utility of this approach to ensuring needed expertise on systematic reviews and minimizing bias from nonfinancial conflicts of interest must be investigated.
KW - Bias
KW - Comparative effectiveness
KW - Evidence-based practice
KW - Identification and management of conflicts of interest
KW - Nonfinancial conflicts of interest
KW - Systematic review methods
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.02.023
DO - 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.02.023
M3 - Article
C2 - 25022723
AN - SCOPUS:84908304632
SN - 0895-4356
VL - 67
SP - 1229
EP - 1238
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
IS - 11
ER -