Managing risk from conflicts of interest in guideline development committees

Evidence informed guidelines produced by global institutions, government bodies, and professional or charitable health organisations aim to promote best practice in public health and clinical care. Despite international standards relating to evidence assessment, transparency, and reducing bias,1234 the quality of these guidelines varies.5678Conflicts of interest among committee members are an increasingly recognised contributor to bias in guideline recommendations.679 A conflict of interest is commonly defined as “a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgment or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest.”10 For example, a conflict of interest arises if a guideline committee member is voting on a recommendation about taking statins for primary prevention to improve cardiovascular health (primary interest) and is receiving consulting fees from a statin manufacturer (secondary interest).The risks associated with conflicts of interest depend on context and the nature and extent of the interest, making them…
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