DOI: 10.1097/01.BONEJ.0000312093.05870.a6

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Issn Print: 1938-8659

Publication Date: 2008/03/01


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Patients Not Concerned About Their Surgeons' Conflicts of Interest?

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Excerpt

A new study conducted in the waiting room of a spine surgery clinic found that prospective surgery patients weren't particularly worried about conflicts of interest among spine surgeons.
This is a surprise because there is widespread concern about conflicts of interest in other circles—among researchers, the mass media, third-party payers, government regulators, the United States Senate, and especially the U.S. Depart-ment of Justice. And the concerns extend beyond mere conflicts of interest to illegal consulting arrangements, payoffs, and kickbacks involving device makers and spine surgeons.
The patients in this study seem to have been insulated from the widespread allegations about unethical and illegal behavior in the spine arena. Though it remains to be seen if they might have altered their opinions had they been better informed on this topic.
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