Scientific meetings. U.S. agencies feel the pinch of travel cutbacks

An investigation and a congressional hearing earlier this year prompted the Office of Management and Budget to impose government-wide restrictions on conference travel—and now some scientific meetings are paying the price.

Promoting new practices to increase access to and retention in addiction treatment: an analysis of five communication channels

Addiction treatment programs adopt evidence-based practices slowly, in part because adopting a new practice is a process, not an event. Using different communication channels may have a different effect at different points in the process. This paper reports the effectiveness of five communication channels in getting substance abuse treatment programs to adopt new business practices. In this study, national trade media coverage produced the greatest interest among programs and the greatest number of decisions to adopt. Conference presentations produced fewer decisions to adopt than national media, but were the most effective channel when compared to the number of programs they reached. Peers were the greatest influence in moving clinic staff from the decision to adopt to implementation. These findings give preliminary evidence for using different communication channels at different times during an effort to promote the adoption of best practices.

Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference using teleconferencing allows for increased faculty participation and moderation from satellite campuses and saves costs

INTRODUCTION

Surgical faculty participation in Morbidity and Mortality Conference (MMC) satisfies criteria for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit. We hypothesize that using teleconferencing between the main campus to 2 satellite campuses will quantitatively increase faculty attendance and participation as a moderator at surgical MMC. We also want to perform a cost-benefit analysis of teleconferencing.

METHODS

In this retrospective descriptive study, faculty attendance at MMC at the main campus and 2 satellite campuses was observed from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. Groups were compared with nonparametric statistics, using an α = 0.05. We performed an annual cost-benefit analysis of teleconferencing with consultation of an economist/financial advisor. The explicit and implicit costs of teleconferencing were compared with the opportunity cost-benefit of travel prevention.

RESULTS

In 2010, there were 45 MMC activities. A total of 236 Continuing Medical Education credit hours were reported, with 186 credit hours at the main campus and 68 credit hours at the satellite campuses. A Mann-Whitney U test showed an increase in the median total attendance (5 per conference) with the addition of the satellite campus attendance (2 per conference) (p < 0.001). There were no differences between the number of moderators at the main campus and the satellite campuses (p > 0.99). Cost benefits per faculty member was $96.70 per conference at 1 satellite campus and $193.60 per conference at the second satellite campus. A total of 73.1 hours of travel time was prevented, with a total annual net benefit of $7624.

CONCLUSIONS

Teleconferencing allows for increased faculty attendance at MMC and allows for faculty to stay at their respective hospitals for patient care. Teleconferencing also results in significant cost savings. We recommend that institutions with similar resources consider teleconferencing as a way to increase faculty member attendance at surgical MMC and to save hospital costs.

Quantifying the variability of financial disclosure information reported by authors presenting research at multiple sports medicine conferences

In the study reported here, we compared self-reported industry relationships of authors who attended 3 major orthopedic sports medicine conferences during a single calendar year. Our goal was to calculate the variability between disclosure information over time. A significant percentage of authors who attended these meetings were inconsistent in submitting their disclosure information. In addition, most authors with irregularities had more than 1 discrepancy. We believe that the vast majority of the observed discrepancies did not result from intentional deception on the part of the authors but instead from ongoing confusion regarding which industry relationships should be acknowledged for particular meetings (some specialty societies require that all relationships be divulged, whereas others require only those affiliations directly applicable to research being presented). In the absence of a uniform disclosure policy that is widely adopted by many specialty societies, these findings suggest that the disclosure process will continue to be plagued by inconsistent reporting of financial conflicts of interest.

"Evidence-debased medicine" and the integrity of the medical profession

Patients trust physicians to prescribe based on their fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their patients, and physicians prescribe based on confidence in research data and clinical guidelines. Recent reports erode confidence in evidence-based medicine. Through self-regulation and a willingness to change, the medical profession can assert its status as a profession distinct from outside influence, serving one interest: the healthcare of patients and the public.

Social focus on health and children’s well-being

This special section on children’s health and well-being is an outgrowth of the 2010 International Sociological Association’s (ISA) World Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden. Within the Congress, the Research Committee 53, Sociology of Childhood, organized a panel focused on the health and well-being of children. Together, this collection makes two distinct contributions: first in terms of considering children’s health disparities as an area of concern within sociology, and second by considering children’s health as a factor that shapes other areas of children’s well-being. In addition, these papers offer novel empirical research on children’s health and varied methodological and theoretical orientations. Each paper also makes contributions to social policy, first in the area of infant health affecting later educational outcomes, second in the area of family structure and children’s health, and additionally in understanding type 2 diabetes for children at the individual and structural levels. Finally, these studies highlight the interplay—between the individuals’ health on the one hand and structure and culture on the other—as children’s life chances are shaped.

Codex--what's all the fuss?

The internet is saturated with misinformation about The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). A brief review of recent Codex actions indicates that Codex is not at all like the organization being portrayed on the web. Is the United States receiving commensurate value for the resources that it is devoting to Codex? By examining the cost of US participation in Codex activities for one year (2009-2010), the author concludes that the United States could achieve the same levels of success with significantly less expenditure. Toward that end, three proposals are put forward: 1) Reduce the size of US delegations to Codex meetings; 2) Give up the host country role for three of the four committees that the US currently hosts and 3) Reduce the US contribution to the Codex Trust Fund. A casual search of the internet, using the search term "Codex Alimentarius," will yield almost a million hits, the vast majority of which are anti-Codex screeds, filled with misinterpretations and misinformation. Many allege that Codex will deny access, or already has, to dietary supplements and that common foods such as garlic will be classified as drugs, available only by prescription. These alleged actions are seen as the work of a vast international conspiracy of the multinational pharmaceutical companies. Many see Codex as one component of a "new world order," whose primary agenda is population control. There are several organizations whose primary purpose appears to be opposition to Codex by spreading misinformation across the web. These include groups in the United States, such as Health Freedom USA and the Natural Solutions Foundation, the National Health Federation and the International Advocates for Health Freedom; as well as organizations in Europe--the Alliance for Natural Health-Europe, Ian Crane in the United Kingdom and Dr. Rath Health Foundation in Germany. Anyone coming to Codex from the internet only is bound to be confused and probably misinformed.

How to write an NIH R13 conference grant application

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this article is to provide recommendations for writing a successful R13 conference grant proposal for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

METHODS

The authors reviewed successful NIH conference grant proposal abstracts. They also reflect on their own experience in writing an NIH conference grant proposal and implementing a successful annual conference on research methods in the area of psychological trauma.

RESULTS

The key to a strong proposal is linkage among all of its sections, from the specific aims to the budget. The specific aims should be justified by the need for the conference and articulated in the background and significance section, and the aims, in turn, should drive the content and format of the conference.

CONCLUSION

Conferences can be an important way to promote NIH scientific goals, by disseminating new findings, facilitating collaborations, and stimulating new lines of research.

[Is it pertinent to investigate the relations between physicians and the drug industry]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the opinions of physicians on the appropriateness of research into the relationships between doctors and pharmaceutical industry, and to evaluate the usefulness of email survey in this research.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Survey via email of 373 authors of papers published in Spanish medical journals in 2007. The relationships between doctors and the industry was measured by asking doctors what they had received from industry during last year, the value in euro, and the number of visits from industry representatives.

RESULTS

The response rate was 28.2%. Most physicians (90.5%) considered the study appropriate. Only 3.2% of doctors refused to take part in the study due to disagreeing with methodology. A total of 92.8% received something from industry during last year (62% cost associated with professional meetings, 60% material for continuing medical education). Mean value of gifts received was 900 euro (60-12,000 euro). By sex, women apparently received more drug samples, and men more payments for consulting or enrolling patients in trials. Doctors practicing in hospitals seemed to receive more gifts than primary care doctors, particularly trips or lunch. Number of visits of industry representatives (from 5 to 10 weekly) was associated with more gifts to doctors.

CONCLUSIONS

The vast majority of doctors agree with the appropriateness of researching into the relationships between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. Relationships between physicians and industry appear to be intensive, as seen in other studies. Response rate was low, but the simplicity and speed of the method are valuable advantages.

Professional medical associations and their relationships with industry: a proposal for controlling conflict of interest

Professional medical associations (PMAs) play an essential role in defining and advancing health care standards. Their conferences, continuing medical education courses, practice guidelines, definitions of ethical norms, and public advocacy positions carry great weight with physicians and the public. Because many PMAs receive extensive funding from pharmaceutical and device companies, it is crucial that their guidelines manage both real and perceived conflict of interests. Any threat to the integrity of PMAs must be thoroughly and effectively resolved. Current PMA policies, however, are not uniform and often lack stringency. To address this situation, the authors first identified and analyzed conflicts of interest that may affect the activities, leadership, and members of PMAs. The authors then went on to formulate guidelines, both short-term and long-term, to prevent the appearance or reality of undue industry influence. The recommendations are rigorous and would require many PMAs to transform their mode of operation and perhaps, to forgo valuable activities. To maintain integrity, sacrifice may be required. Nevertheless, these changes are in the best interest of the PMAs, the profession, their members, and the larger society.