Physician Payment Sunshine: ProPublica Database Leads with Disparaging Headlines

Doctor collaborates with industry to conduct lifesaving, breakthrough research.”  “Doctor educates colleagues about safety and clinical date to improve patient outcomes.”  “Physician speaks to peers about new trials that improve patient access to needed drugs.”  “Researchers meet to ensure the success of new clinical trial.”    “Physician invents new medical device that improves cardiovascular health.”  “Industry and physicians collaborate to bring drug to market faster through new approval pathway.”  “Physicians attend education program mandated by FDA under REMS to better understand benefits and risk of drugs.”  Of all these headlines, few, if any, are ever chosen by mainstream or local media to describe physician-industry relationships and collaboration that produce longer, healthier lives for all Americans.  In fact, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently released its second Annual Report on Cancer Survivorship, which showed that 18 million cancer survivors are expected by 2022.    The headlines describing this report, however, failed to recognize that such increased survival rates are influenced significantly by the breakthrough drugs, therapies and treatments pharmaceutical manufacturers have researched, developed and discovered over the past few decades.  As Time Magazine noted, “advances in early detection and treatment are also contributing to helping people are live longer after diagnosis.”  Cons...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs