Ghost management: How much of the medical literature is shaped behind the scenes by the pharmaceutical industry?
2007
Ghost Management in Medical Literature
publication
Evidence: high
Author Information
Author(s): Sergio Sismondo
Primary Institution: Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Hypothesis
How much of the medical literature is shaped behind the scenes by the pharmaceutical industry?
Conclusion
Ghost management is common in medical research, allowing pharmaceutical companies to influence published results and medical opinion.
Supporting Evidence
- Pharmaceutical companies often pay for trials and influence the writing of articles.
- Ghost management can lead to biased medical literature that promotes specific drugs.
- A study found evidence of ghost authorship in 75% of industry-initiated trials.
Takeaway
Sometimes, companies secretly help write medical articles, making it look like doctors wrote them. This can change how doctors think about medicines.
Potential Biases
Pharmaceutical funding can bias research outcomes in favor of the company's products.
Limitations
The extent of ghost management is difficult to quantify due to its hidden nature.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% confidence intervals, 60%–87%
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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