Conflict of Interest: The Attitude of Iranian Physicians Involved in Breast Cancer Management

Background: Evidence on physicians' attitude toward conflict of interest isscant on a global scale and almost non-existent in a regional/national scale. Thisinvestigation is a pioneer to evaluate this issue in the Middle East and Iran.Methods: We invited physicians of different (sub)specialties/educationallevels who were engaged in breast cancer management to take an online ۱۳-question survey regarding their attitude toward different statements on conflict ofinterest. The responses were then collected and analyzed.Results: The questionnaire was returned by ۹۱ out of ۱۵۷ recipients (responserate = ۵۷.۹%). Based on the answers, advertisement by pharmaceutical salesrepresentatives in academia was considered inappropriate (۶۳.۸%) and influentialon clinical practice (۸۰.۲%). It was the belief of ۵۹.۴% of participants that localpractice norms defined whether or not to accept travel grants. According to thesenorms, they might have accepted paid travels (۵۳.۹%), but not financial offers(۷۲.۲%). It was acceptable to deliver (۷۴.۸%) or attend (۶۸.۹%) a speech when afinancial/scientific relationship with industrial companies existed and ۹۳.۴%believed that the disclosure and transparency rules should be respected in suchsituations. Physician-industry financial contracts were generally unfavorable(۶۰.۵%), especially when it came to prescribing a drug among other equallyeffective choices (۷۱.۱%). The majority of respondents (۹۲.۳%) stated that theywould choose the best approach for the patients regardless of possibleprejudgments on conflict of interest.

Keywords:

Conflict of interest , ethics , attitude , surveys , questionnaires , breast neoplasms