Ethics and Policy

Patient responses to physician disclosures of industry conflicts of interest: A randomized field experiment.

Journal Publication /

Abstract Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the healthcare industry. These physician-industry relationships represent a conflict of interest: a potential clash between the physicians’ professional responsibilities and their self-interest. We conducted a randomized field experiment to assess the impact of written disclosures of physicians’ conflict of interest […]

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The Biden Administration Must Put The Science Back Into Forensic Science

Forbes Column, Popular Press /

Movies and TV shows depict dazzling uses of forensic sciences in the courts, but reality itself falls far behind and countless miscarriages of justice are the result of bad science. I make the case in this Forbes article for the new administration to re-establish the National Commission of Forensic Science, or another independent entity committed to

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Storming of the U.S. Capitol: How Blind Loyalty Fuels The Unthinkable

Forbes Column, Popular Press /

Loyalty is often seen as a trait that prompts us to be better people, however in certain circumstances loyalty can have the opposite effect and increase unethical behavior. In this Forbes article I discuss research by some of my colleagues into these effects and how the unfortunate events of January 6, 2021 illustrated this dark side

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Conflicts of Interest and COVID.

Popular Press /

Financial incentives can be a factor in pandemic policy decisions—albeit frequently at a subconscious and unintentional level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders face difficult decisions that involve trade-offs between economic outcomes and public safety. These conflicts of interest can impact decisions related to closures, quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing, and mask-wearing. However, many decision-makers claim that

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Ten considerations for effectively managing the COVID-19 transition

Journal Publication /

Abstarct Governments around the world have implemented measures to manage the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While the majority of these measures are proving effective, they have a high social and economic cost, and response strategies are being adjusted. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that communities should have a voice, be informed and

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When Science Becomes Embroiled in Conflict: Recognizing the Public’s Need for Debate while Combating Conspiracies and Misinformation.

Journal Publication /

We explore the common attributes of political conflicts in which scientific findings have a central role, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, but also drawing on long-standing conflicts over climate change and vaccinations. We analyze situations in which the systematic spread of disinformation or conspiracy theories undermines public trust in the work of

When Science Becomes Embroiled in Conflict: Recognizing the Public’s Need for Debate while Combating Conspiracies and Misinformation. Read More »

Understanding the (Perverse) Effects of Disclosing Conflicts of Interest: A Direct Replication Study.

Journal Publication /

Abstract Advisors are often subject to conflicts of interest—a potential clash between their professional responsibilities and personal interests. Such conflicts can increase bias in advice. Although disclosure is frequently proposed to manage conflicts of interest, it can have unintended consequences on both advisees and advisors. In seminal work, Cain et al., 2005, Cain et al.,

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Conflict of interest disclosure as a reminder of professional norms. Clients First!

Journal Publication /

Abstract Conflicts of interest create an incentive for advisors to give biased advice, and disclosure is a popular remedy. Across a series of studies, with monetary stakes creating conflicts of interest, I show that disclosure of the conflict of interest can increase as well as decrease bias in advice. The effect of disclosure depends on

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Clinical practice guidelines and the overuse of health care services: need for reform

Journal Publication /

Key Points Specialty bias and fee-for-service conflicts of interest threaten the validity of clinical practice guidelines and may lead to overdiagnosis, overtreatment and increasing health care costs. Clinical practice guidelines issued by medical specialty societies in North America frequently call for greater use of health care services linked to their specialties and are often at

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