According to a new study from Columbia University (published in the American Journal of Public Health) health advocacy groups aren't disclosing their financial ties to industry.
The study compared Eli Lilly’s disclosures of $3.2 million in payments to 161 health advocacy groups in the first half of 2007 with the groups’ own disclosures.
Only one-quarter of the groups acknowledged Lilly’s support anywhere on their public Web sites, the study said. Only one in 10 disclosed Lilly as the sponsor of a specific grant, and none of them disclosed the exact amount.
Interesting – except that these Columbia Lions used two quarters of information from 2007 (the first year companies started disclosing and before patient groups got up to speed) and from just one company. Based on this shoddy data set the authors conclude that, in 2011, patient organizations aren’t disclosing their financial relationships with industry. Mention of these, er, design flaws in the mainstream media reporting on this study? Zero.
And no explanation as to why the research team didn’t use more recent data from 2009 with multiple companies.
Can you say “Wakefield?”
