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To the Editor: In their Commentary, Drs Cain and Detsky¹ discussed that conflicts of interest are more likely to result from unintentional bias rather than intentional bias, based on studies of human psychology. This underscores the need for full disclosure of conflicts of interests among researchers, even physicians. The Commentary considered the study by Cain et al² that suggested that full disclosure may have the opposite effect of making professionals more biased. However, the primary purpose of disclosure is not to make researchers less biased; it is to inform readers and the public of potential bias so that they can make their own judgments on the credibility of the information presented.

In addition, it is likely that not all financial conflicts of interest are equal when it comes to introduction of bias. The higher the monetary value involved, the more likely that bias may be introduced. After all, this is . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Ronald S. Go, MD
rsgo@gundluth.org
Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Gundersen Lutheran Health System
La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Everyone's a Little Bit Biased (Even Physicians)
Daylian M. Cain and Allan S. Detsky
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