Resumo

BARRIOS-VASQUEZ, Santiago. Conflict of interest. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2007, vol.58, n.4, pp.296-303. ISSN 0034-7434.

Human nature, especially narcissism, makes clinicians, researchers, review board members, peers, editors and health care entrepreneurs vulnerable to the allure of fame and fortune. There is always the chance of a conflict of interest arising in both clinical practice and clinical trials which often biases meta-analysis, protocols, editorials and review articles. Though conflicts of interest are not good or bad, problems do arise when a different motivation dominates the goal of benefiting the patient and producing the best possible knowledge, in addition to the inherent difficulties of searching for scientific truths. However, several strategies have been designed to resolve these problems: using scientific method and evidence-based medicine, developing suitable criteria for evaluating guidelines, promoting education, implementing clear policy designed to handle conflicts of interest and open discussions of these topics, aiming to protect the readers of scientific journals, leaving them free to draw their own conclusions. It is clear that we are all responsible for the reliability of scientific medical knowledge.

Palavras-chave : conflict of interest.

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