University of Colorado Denver

Course objectives

1. Define conflicts of interest
2. Identify strategies to manage potential conflicts of interest
3. Identify resources

Course resources

• Conflict of Interest and Commitments Presentation
• Powerpoint slides detailing perspective – Gelsinger case – Denver Post – Congress – PHS regulations – local reality – local policies and procedure
• Office of Research Integrity Case Study
• Video debates

Other Resources

• UCD COIC policies and procedures can be found at: http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/research/AboutUs/regcomp/conflictofinterest/Pages/default.aspx
• Conflict of Interest Case Studies
• COI Tool kit at http://www.faseb.org/coi/Home.aspx
• Office of Research Integrity: Conflict of Interest and Commitment
• Report of the AAMC Task Force o Industry Funding of Medical Education at https://members.aamc.org/eweb/upload/Industry%20Funding%20of%20Medical%20Education.pdf
• AAMC report: In the Interest of Patients: Recommendations for physician financial relationships and clinical decision making at  https://members.aamc.org/eweb/upload/In%20the%20Interest%20of%20Patients.pdf
• Final PHS COI rule, August 25, 2011 at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-25/pdf/2011-21633.pdf

Questions that focus content

1. Define conflict of interest.
2. List and describe three distinct conflicts of interest that are not financial.
3. What interests, other than financial, do you have in obtaining positive results in your research?
4. Why is a financial conflict of interest not necessarily considered to be misconduct? Discuss circumstances under which a financial conflict of interest might result in misconduct.
5. If you were reading the work of another scientist, then what, if anything, do you need to know about interests of that scientist that might be in conflict with a published work? If it were relevant to the subject of the paper, which of the following would you want to know about an author's interests:
1. Financial stake (e.g., ownership, stock, stock options) in a company that markets the product discussed in the paper
2. Financial stake (e.g., ownership, stock, stock options) in a company that markets a product similar to the one discussed in the paper
3. Previous support (e.g., research materials, grants, or contracts) from a company that markets the product discussed in the paper
4. Current or previous role as a consultant with a company that markets the product discussed in the paper
5. Physical or psychological conditions (e.g., depression or diabetes) of the author that are also the subject of the paper
6. Sexual orientation of the author for research that excludes, or includes, a genetic basis for homosexuality