From quid pro quo to quid pro bono: reshaping the influence of industry on health care epidemiologists

Abstract

Recent scrutiny of relationships between medical professionals and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries has highlighted many opportunities for conflicts of interest and has prompted calls for reforms in the way we conduct such business. This article reviews ways in which industry influences health care epidemiologists and considers a range of strategies that might be considered for reshaping these influences to preserve the benefits while eliminating the conflicts of interest.