Financial Relationships with Industry in Editorial Board Members of Three Journals of the American Society for Radiation Oncology

Publication date: Available online 18 March 2017
Source:International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics
Author(s): Vivek Verma
PurposeTo quantitate financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) among radiation oncology peer-reviewers, specifically editorial board members of the three American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) journals.Methods and MaterialsThe public Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database delineates payments in three categories (general payments, research funding, and company ownership). After excluding non-US and non-MDs, names of board members were searched. Values of each FCOI were extracted for 2013-2015 and compiled.ResultsOf 85 board members, 65 (76%) received any form of payment during the overall time period. The majority of delivered payments were general payments; 59 (69%) received at least one general payment during these three years. In each year, nine (11%) board members received research funding, and three (4%) board members reported company ownership. Over the studied period, all board members received a sum total of $5,387,985; this was comprised of $665,801 (12%) general payments, $3,758,968 (70%) research funding, and $963,216 (18%) company ownership. The mean general payment and research funding (all members) were $2,621 and $14,741, respectively. Median (inter-quartile range) general payments and research funding only in board members receiving payments were $419 ($91-$5,072) and $56,250 ($13,345-$200,000), respectively. When assessing general payments based on amount, the vast majority of EBMs received lower-quantity or no such payments, along with a proportion that received high-volume payments. The most frequent sources of general payments were Varian, Elekta, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Merck and Varian were most frequent funders for research payments.ConclusionsIn this population, the majority of FCOIs were general payments, but research funding comprised the highest monetary sums. Large-volume FCOIs do not apply to the vast majority of editorial board members, implying that the maintained integrity of academic peer-review is likely not influenced to a large extent by FCOIs.

Teaser

Using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database, this study measured financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs) among editorial board members (EBMs) of the three American Society for Radiation Oncology journals. The majority of FCOIs were general payments, but research funding comprised the highest monetary sums. Most EBMs did not have large-quantity FCOIs, implying that the maintained integrity of academic peer-review is likely not influenced to a large extent by FCOIs.


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