NEJM Editor Flip Flops On Data Sharing After Social Media Firestorm

After a firestorm of criticism on social media over his editorial comments,  Jeffrey Drazen, the editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, is trying to quiet a growing controversy by modifying his position regarding shared data. The firestorm was ignited by an editorial on data sharing in last week’s NEJM. Although highly supportive of…

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Hot Lines, Simultaneous Publications, And The Decline Of Medical Meetings

Back in the Dark Ages when I covered big medical conferences (like the European Society of Cardiology meeting now getting underway in London) it was necessary to attend the sessions, roam the halls, and talk to doctors. There were no late-breaking or hot line sessions and there were certainly no simultaneous publications in journals. (If memory…

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No, Pharmascolds Are Not Worse Than The Pervasive Conflicts Of Interest They Criticize

Let’s start with a quick poll:  Which is worse? A. The pervasive influence of industry on medicine, which has undermined the independence and altruism of physicians. B. The critics of industry influence, who have created a paranoid culture of distrust which has undermined the partnership of industry and physicians that has brought medicine to its current heights. If you chose B then you are…

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