Do I have a conflict of interest? No

Excerpt

A conflict of interest (COI) can be said to exist when a physician (or his/her company/institution) has an external interest that may appear to alter the way he/she performs research or practices medicine. Presence of a potential COI can create a perception of diminished investigator independence and thus of decreased research integrity. In recent years, ‘definition creep’ has occurred with definitions of what constitutes a COI becoming increasingly broad, such that almost any interest can be considered as a potential conflict [1], making COI an unhelpful and meaningless concept [2]. Indeed, it is not unethical to have an interest (most of us do), and moneys gained from industry can help expand research facilities, advance important scientific developments, and support postgraduate education [3]. Moreover, the global playing field is not even and industry support may be the only way doctors from less affluent countries can attend postgraduate courses or become involved in research activities, unlike their counterparts in Europe, Australia or North America where institutional support is more readily available. …