Following the publication of my article How Should The Us Federal Government Oversee Clinicians’ Relationships With Industry? in the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics, I was featured on their Author Interview podcast series. On the podcast I discuss with host Tim Hoff how my theory of the Professionalism Paradox applies in the medical field and …
Abstract Many clinicians, including those who work in government, experience potential clashes between their professional responsibilities and personal interests that can create conflicts of interest (COIs). Some clinicians might assert that their personal stakes do not influence their professional actions, but data suggest otherwise. This commentary on a case suggests that COIs must be acknowledged …
How should the US Federal Government oversee clinicians’ relationships with industry? Read More »
Professionalism is often viewed, in the management literature and in practice, as a desirable sought-after trait in employees and managers. This belief, however, does not consider a potential dark side of professionalism. A high self-concept of professionalism often coexists with a shallow notion of the concept and can paradoxically lead to detrimental outcomes, such as …
Abstract Most patients in the United States depend on physicians who have financial relationships with the healthcare industry. These physician-industry relationships represent a conflict of interest: a potential clash between the physicians’ professional responsibilities and their self-interest. We conducted a randomized field experiment to assess the impact of written disclosures of physicians’ conflict of interest …
Summary The status quo bias (SQB) is the tendency to prefer the current state of affairs. We investigated if experts (physicians) fall prey to the SQB when making decisions in their area of expertise and, if so, whether the SQB is reduced or amplified for experts compared to non-experts. We presented 302 physicians and 733 …
Amplification of the status quo bias among physicians making medical decisions. Read More »
Many employers are eager for staff to return to the office after a year of social distancing, mask wearing, and working from home. However, a recent survey of 4,553 office workers in five different countries, found that every single person reported feeling anxious about resuming in-person work. The top causes of return-to-work stress included being …
Mental health: pressure to return to the office could be making employees more anxious Read More »
Financial incentives can be a factor in pandemic policy decisions—albeit frequently at a subconscious and unintentional level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders face difficult decisions that involve trade-offs between economic outcomes and public safety. These conflicts of interest can impact decisions related to closures, quarantines, lockdowns, social distancing, and mask-wearing. However, many decision-makers claim that …
Abstract Advisors often have conflicts of interest: a potential clash between professional responsibilities and self-interests. Disclosure—informing advisees of the conflict—is a common policy response to manage such conflicts. However, extant research on disclosure has often confounded disclosure with poor-quality advice. In this article, we explore whether laws requiring conflict of interest disclosure damage the advisor–advisee …
Abstract Advisors are often subject to conflicts of interest—a potential clash between their professional responsibilities and personal interests. Such conflicts can increase bias in advice. Although disclosure is frequently proposed to manage conflicts of interest, it can have unintended consequences on both advisees and advisors. In seminal work, Cain et al., 2005, Cain et al., …
When my doctor ordered a CT scan that I didn’t need, I found myself in an uncomfortable position. Even though, as a physician myself, I knew that it was unnecessary, as a patient, I still felt compelled to comply. In this article I explain how difficult it can be to say no to bad advice …
Why you find it so hard to resist taking bad advice. Read More »