Conflicts of interest: Do you know what to do?

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (CPSM) is reminding physicians how to deal with a conflict of interest.Their advice about conflicts of interest falls into four categories:RecognizeA conflict of interest is when a physician’s personal, financial or other interests conflict with their ethical and/or professional obligations.Examples the college provided include:Receiving a gift from a person who could benefit from the physician’s practiceHaving personal relationships with patients or colleagues that might influence professional judgement or lead to preferential treatmentHolding roles and responsibilities that might conflict with another role, such as an administrator, educator or researcherRead: ‘Potential for harm’: Ontario pediatrician disposed of colleague’s patient records, gave false info during hospital investigationAvoid Avoiding these conflicts means steering clear of the scenarios that present a conflict. This can be done by adhering to ethical guidelines set by the Canadian Medical Association’s Code of Ethics and Professionalism and provincial colleges.There may be times when a physician has to excuse themself from decisions or activities where their impartiality could be reasonably questioned.MinimizeA physician may take a more arms-length role in an association or activity in order to lessen the perception of conflict of interest. For example, the CMA suggests making sure the patient understands the extent of a physician’s responsibility to a third party when acting on behalf of a third party. DisclosePhysicians must always be transparent when it comes to conflicts of interest.For example, the CMA suggests that when conducting research, a physician must always let research participants know about anything that may give rise to a conflict of interest, including the source of funding or compensation.Read: Quebec disciplinary process: a ‘traumatic’ experience

Conflicts of interest: Do you know what to do?

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