According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the New England Journal of Medicine has violated its own disclosure policy by knowingly publishing articles from researchers without disclosing their ties to drug companies.
The Times reviewed 36 drug therapy articles that had been printed in the Journal since 1997. In eight articles, researchers were found to have financial links to companies that marketed treatments reviewed in the articles. The authors received speaking fees, consulting fees, travel expenses and other forms of funding from the makers of the same drugs they were reviewing.
Six authors contacted by the Times said they had disclosed their financial ties to the Journal. The articles were not accompanied by any disclosures about financial ties, however, and readers were not informed of the potential conflict of interest.
NEJM's disclosure policy is among the strictest of all medical publications. The policy explicitly prohibits "editorialists and authors of review articles from having any financial connection with a company that benefits from a drug or device discussed in the editorial or review article."
Dr. Marcia Angell, the Journal's interim editor-in-chief, said that new ethical guidelines are being developed. "We're going to do the right thing and bring our practice into conformity with our policy," Dr. Angell said. Many medical ethics experts, however, believe leaving out the financial risks raises serious questions about the Journal's credibility.
"It's highly misleading of journal editors to say on the one hand that they have a strict policy to avoid conflict of interest and then turn around and violate that policy," said Mildred Cho, a scholar at the Stanford University Center for Biomedical Ethics.
More than 200 guests and advocates of chiropractic were on hand for the October 21st opening of the Whittier Chiropractic Health Center, a $3 million state-of-the-art facility located on the campus of Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. Among the participants was state Assemblyman Martin Gallegos, the chair of the Assembly Health Committee and himself a doctor of chiropractic, who called the center the "crown jewel of the chiropractic profession."
"This health center demonstrates to the public what chiropractic is all about and where it's going in the future," Gallegos said. "This is an incredible facility, and we can all take pride in it and those who are here providing care to the community."
The center is designed to provide primary health care through chiropractic by doctors who also serve as faculty members at LACC. The center is comprised of 35 treatment rooms divided into five separate treatment areas of seven rooms each. One area has been designated for other health services that are compatible with chiropractic principles, such as neurology, orthopedics, podiatry and acupuncture.
Dr. Reed Phillips, president of LACC, called the health center "nothing less than a dream come true, not only for us, but for the residents of the surrounding communities who benefit from the care delivered here. With this program, we have changed the approach of how chiropractic care is provided to patients and how it's taught to future generations of doctors."
The health center is open for appointments during the morning, afternoon and evening, with Saturday scheduling available upon request. For more information, contact the facility at (562) 943-7125.
The Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research is currently developing a project to document the extent to which chiropractic providers are meeting the health care needs of underserved population groups, with emphasis being placed on Native American patients. Information from this project will help inform and revise policies on health care and reimbursement of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Chiropractors whose patient bases include Native Americans are urged to contact the Palmer Center and participate in the study. For more information, please contact:
Marilyn Smith, DC, PhD
Palmer Center for
Chiropractic Research
741 Brady Street
Davenport, IA 52803
Tel: (319) 884-5173
Fax: (319) 884-5227
E-mail: smith_m@palmer.edu
Dr. Lew Estabrook of Kirkland, Washington was recently chosen by the U.S. Olympic Committee to provide chiropractic care at the 1999 Olympic Cup, which was held in San Diego from September 9-13. As the official chiropractor at the event, Dr. Estabrook was part of a group of athletic trainers and sports medicine physicians responsible for delivering chiropractic services to almost 500 Olympic athletes from eight different countries.
"It was amazing to see how widely accepted chiropractic care has become," said Dr. Estabrook. "There were some language barriers, but the experience was an excellent opportunity to treat top athletes from so many countries who have come to depend on chiropractic care."
Dr. Estabrook has had previous experience in working with Olympic athletes. In 1998, he was chosen as one of only four doctors of chiropractic nationwide to provide care at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Dr. Kendra Holloway, a 1996 graduate of Life Chiropractic College West, has been named the school's director of postgraduate and continuing education. In her role as director, she will be responsible for developing, directing, coordinating and marketing the college's postgraduate programs and professional licensure seminars.
Dr. Holloway brings a wealth of experience to the position, having worked in the department of postgraduate and continuing education for more than six years and serving as the department's acting director since February 1999. She has also maintained a private part-time practice in Alameda, California since 1997.
On November 19th, during Life University's annual homecoming festivities, the largest bronzed statue in the southeast United States was unveiled as a tribute to the profession's early pioneers.
The sculpture, approximately 18 feet high and 12 feet wide, is located in front of the university's bell tower. It is modeled after the hands of Life's president and founder, Dr. Sid Williams, and shows the hands poised to deliver a toggle adjustment.
The statue is one of several created by local sculptor Steve Smith. Smith has created a number of bronzed statues on the Life campus, including an Adisi eagle located atop the school's gymnasium, and bronzed busts of Dr. Williams and Harvey Lillard.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
