Table 1.

Examples of the many issues that might be a focus for the topic of conflict of interest.

Financial conflicts of interest

Federal regulations governing such conflicts

State or institutional regulations

Other kinds of conflicting interests such as desire to publish or for advancement

Historical evidence of bias due to financial conflicts

Evidence of bias due to other kinds of conflicts

The need to avoid conflicts

The need to find ways to manage unavoidable conflicts

Methods for decreasing the risk of bias in the design of experiments

The importance of disclosure in publications

The insufficient value of disclosure as a tool to protect against bias