Table 3.

Potential benefits and risks of mandatory disclosure of conflicts of interest

Potential Benefits	Potential risks
Ensure transparency with public, patients, payers, governmental agencies More equitable than ad-hoc regulation Allows for state and federal oversight Facilitates development of clear guidelines regarding amount of equity providers may own of a facility Allows for independent, empirical research	Nephrologists may avoid JV3 or ESCO4 partnering when it could improve patient care Nephrologists may avoid JV or ESCO partnering, losing potential income Administrative burden of reporting May erode patient trust in their nephrologists and other providers

³Joint Venture

⁴ESRD Seamless Care Organization