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The Seedy Side of Medical Literature

Pick up a magazine and read any article. You trust that the information contained within in is accurate. If the article takes on an authoritative tone, as a reader, you trust that the writer has the knowledge and the background to make truthful statements. Honesty is a tenet of journalism. A writer's integrity is his or her most valuable asset.

Kansas City residents may be surprised to learn that articles and other literature passed off in the medical community as authored by knowledgeable, reputable physicians may actually be written by another source. Ghostwriting is a common practice in the writing world. Standing alone, ghostwriting is an acceptable form of getting out the written word. In a medical sense, however, the practice can be downright dishonest, not to mention dangerous.

Here's how it works. A pharmaceutical firm hires a writer through a medical communication company to craft an article for a particular product. This happens all of the time and is a completely legitimate practice. The problems come in when the ghostwriter hires an outside source to add legitimacy to the paper. Often a doctor may lend his or her name to the publication as a means of credibility. If the doctor has not researched it thoroughly, he or she is simply after a paycheck.

When a ghostwriter slants research to promote a certain drug, or exaggerates clinical studies or even downplays side effects, the public at large is done a terrible disservice. The public trusts the research and opinions of those people who are educated in the medical field. It is supposed to be a safe assumption that what is written, epsecially within medical and scientific journals, is unbiased and true. Ethics demand that it is.

There are groups concerned with this practice. In fact, The Committee of Medical Journal Editors has set forth guidelines that address the proper use of medical professionals as authors of papers. They include the following criteria:

1. Credit should be given if "substantial contributions to conception and design, or acquisition of data or analysis and interpretation of data" are made by the physician."
2. The credited doctor drafts or revises the article "for important intellectual content."
3. He or she gives "final approval of the version published."

The physician should not simply attach his or her name to an article without knowing fully what the article's conclusions are. Another reputable body associated with the medical field, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) goes even further with their recommendations. The guidelines set down by WAME encourage medical editors to ask writers for a full disclosure about each person named as a contributor to the article in question. What was the role each coauthor played in the drafting of the piece? Such questions demand that the names associated with an article are proven to be legitimate contributors.

Have you or a loved one been affected by the dishonest research of a medical writer or a pharmaceutical company? The Kansas City medical malpractice attorneys at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys offer a free inital consultation to help you get answers. Call 888-348-2616 to schedule your free consultation. You can also access more information by downloading your free copy of our resource guide The Truth About Medical Malpractice Claims.

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