Conflict of Interest Management

This “COI management” section of the ATS website provides and/or links to ATS policies, procedures, and resources for use in the management of conflicts of interest (COI) affecting ATS members, staff, and others who participate in ATS activities. Please scroll down and read or click-the-link for items of particular interest.

RATIONALE
1. ATS COI management policies are based on policies enacted by the ATS Board of Directors. Currently, three policies are most influential: the Policy on Management of Conflict of Interest in Official ATS Documents, Projects and Conferences (as approved by the ATS Board of Directors on March 14, 2008, and amended on September 27, 2010); the Policy Governing Relationships Between the Tobacco Industry, ATS Members, and Non-Members Who Participate in ATS Activities (as approved by the ATS Board of Directors on March 10, 2007, and amended on December 14, 2007 and September 27, 2010); the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) Code on Interaction with Companies (adopted by the ATS Board of Directors in October 2010). These three documents are expected to be consolidated into a single policy in the fall of 2011.
2. Reasons for ATS COI policy and procedures include the following (most excerpted from the above-referenced “Policy on Management of Conflict of Interest”):
  1. The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has confidence in the integrity of its members and others who participate in official ATS activities.
  2. ATS membership is diverse. ATS members can have their primary work affiliations in academic institutions, industry, patient care, government, research, and administration. Regardless of affiliation, the ATS values the contributions of all of its members and affirms the value of different experiences and points of view.
  3. Because of the diversity of our members’ affiliations, their interests may at times compete with the interests of the ATS and represent a conflict of interest when participating in ATS activities. For example:
    - Physicians and scientists employed or directly affiliated with the pharmaceutical and/or medical device industry make important and often unique contributions to official ATS activities.
    - Researchers and “content experts” are often involved in activities on behalf of professional organizations. In many cases, these same experts receive industry funding to consult, lecture, participate in industry scientific advisory boards, conduct research, or provide other services.
    - Some researchers and content experts or their institutions have proprietary interests in a substance, technology, or process that has resulted from their work.
    - Some experts serve as paid witnesses in legal proceedings or as consultants in litigation.
    - Practicing clinicians can be involved in activities such as clinical research studies and public speaking that can affect revenue streams and community standing. Such relationships produce conflicts of interest (COI) that may compete with activities performed on behalf of a professional organization. As they are directly involved in commercial goals by the nature of their existence, disclosure of such involvements must be transparent and be guided by the highest ethical standards and codes of conduct.
  4. In addition, accrediting and/or standard-setting organizations - such as the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) - require ATS to obtain disclosures, and review and manage commercial interests and other potential conflicts relevant to the subject matter of presentations and journal contributions (respectively).
  5. Scientific organizations like the ATS possess a credibility among clinicians, scientists and laypersons that is tied directly to the integrity of its conduct. COI have the potential to compromise the validity of ATS activities. Since the ATS is likely to affect health care, public health and health policy proportional to its credibility, the ATS must preserve its organizational integrity and rigorously safeguard its processes to disclose and resolve COI.
DECLARATION (DISCLOSURE) PROCESS:
1. Declaration (disclosure) of potential conflicts of interest is required of all participants in official ATS activities on an activity-specific basis, and at least annually. Disclosure-per-activity is intended to ensure that the information disclosed is up-to-date and relevant to the subject matter of the particular ATS activity/role.
  
  Examples of official ATS roles for which disclosure is required include:
  1. ATS Journals contributors, including manuscript authors (using ICMJE form*)
  2. ATS Journals manuscript reviewers (via Journals staff)
  3. International Conference faculty (speakers, chairs/moderators, and official planners, using annual, online International Conference faculty questionnaire on ATS COI-SMART site
  4. Assembly/Committee project committee members (via ATS COI-SMART site)
  5. Assembly/Committee project applicants (via ATS COI-SMART site)
  6. Other ATS CME faculty (via ATS COI-SMART site)
  7. ATS Committee members (annually via ATS COI-SMART site)
  8. ATS Board of Directors (annually via ATS COI-SMART site)
  9. Foundation of the ATS Board of Trustees (annually via ATS COI-SMART site)
  10. ATS Journals Editors, Deputy Editors and Associate Editors (per term)
  11. Research Award applicants (annually via ATS COI-SMART site)
  12. Research Award reviewers (annually via ATS COI-SMART site)
  13. Public Policy representatives testifying for ATS (via ATS COI-SMART site)
  14. Official ATS representatives to other organizations (via ATS COI-SMART site)
  15. ATS staff (via ATS Human Resources office)
2. Disclosure for purposes of ATS Journals contribution (including manuscript authors) now occurs through online submission of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Conflict of Interest Reporting Form. ATS Journals previously required use of the original PDF-based "ATS Disclosure Form." Use of the manuscript-specific International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) was requested by ATS Journal Editors to achieve consistency with other major journals. The ICMJE form and instructions for ATS Journal contributors are available at the manuscript submission site: "http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/atsjournals" (then click on "Resources").
3. Disclosure for all other official ATS Activities now occurs on a “by-invitation” basis through online use of the ATS COI-SMART system (only), a secure web portal and data management system designed specifically for COI disclosure and review. (ATS no longer uses the PDF-based “ATS Disclosure Form” or asks for it to be updated through the previous ATS “COI Manager” site. Only the ATS COI-SMART system is to be used [with exception of ATS Journals as noted above].) Please note that the system, accessed at https://thoracic.coi-smart.com, requires that ATS staff first enroll the user into the system, and that the user log-in using an ATS-provided User Name. This User Name cannot be automatically obtained at the site. The ATS staff assigned to the specific activity must first notify the ATS COI Office that a specific ATS Member or Non-Member is a participant in an activity for which disclosure is required. ATS COI staff then registers the individual to use the ATS COI-SMART system for disclosure for that activity. The ATS COI office notifies individuals by e-mail that a COI declaration or update is needed, and provides instructions and an ATS-assigned User Name. ATS Members and others participating in official ATS activities who need assistance in accessing the online ATS COI-SMART system should contact Liz Guzman at ATS via eguzman@thoracic.org or 212-315-8627. Participants in ATS Assembly/Committee projects (such as guideline panels) may also ask Jessica Wisk to assist via jwisk@thoracic.org or 212-315-8611.
REVIEW AND PUBLICATION OF DECLARATIONS:
1. ATS treats the COI disclosure process as strictly confidential. For disclosures filed on either or the secure ATS COI-SMART system, access is limited to the individual making the disclosure, a limited number of specially-authorized ATS administrative staff, and a limited number of ATS members who by nature of their role have responsibility for reviewing participants’ COI disclosures and managing any identified COI relevant to a specific ATS activity.
2. To ensure appropriate transparency, disclosed COI (real or potential) are made available to CME audience members, journal readers, and the public in the following manner:
  1. Declarations of COI of Key Society Leaders such as the ATS Officers and members of the Board of Directors will be made available on the ATS website in the fall of 2011.
  2. Declarations of COI relevant to subject matter of the faculty of ATS continuing medical education (CME) programs will be disclosed to the learners (audience) of the activity in accordance with the requirements of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Medical Association for accredited CME.
  3. Disclosed COI of ATS Journals manuscript authors will be published with the manuscript in accordance with ATS Journal policies.
  4. Disclosed COI of the authors of medical/scientific content on the ATS Website will be posted with the content on the ATS Website.
  5. Disclosed COI of authors of official ATS documents (statements) will be published with the document. Disclosed dollar amounts of personal financial interests are not disclosed to the public by ATS, with exception of official ATS documents, where the disclosed dollar range of financial interests relevant to the document will be included in the Author Disclosure statement published with the manuscript.
3. Specific guidance for those responsible for reviewing disclosures and managing COI has been developed for specific ATS activities, such as the International Conference and Assembly/Committee Projects, and is made available to session chairs, project chairs and others responsible for those activities. For example, see the Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure & Management Requirements for 2011 'Official ATS Projects'. For more information or assistance, please contact Shane McDermott, Senior Director, Ethics and Conflict of Interest Management at smcdermott@thoracic.org or 212-315-8650.
OVERSIGHT:

The ATS Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee is responsible for oversight of ATS policies and procedures in COI management, in consultation with the ATS Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Several other ATS committees and leaders, such as the committees responsible for Documents Development & Implementation, Education, International Conference, Program and Budget, and Publications Policy, and the Editors of the ATS Journals and the ATS Website, are also integral to this process, as are each of the ATS Assemblies.

STAFF RESOURCES:

Staff implementation and management of the COI policies of the ATS Board of Directors is overseen by ATS Executive Director Stephen Crane, PhD, MPH. He has assigned a senior member of the staff to serve as “chief COI officer” and staff to the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Committee: Shane McDermott, Senior Director, Ethics and Conflict of Interest Management. Shane may be reached at: smcdermott@thoracic.org or 212-315-8650.

ARTICLES ON ATS COI MANAGEMENT:

The following articles have appeared in ATS publications regarding ATS conflict of interest management practices or activities. Click on the link to obtain.
OUTSIDE RESOURCES:

The following web-based resources on ethics and conflict of interest management have been produced by other organizations and may be useful to ATS members, staff and others participating in ATS activities. The American Thoracic Society has not officially reviewed, approved or endorsed these resources and is not responsible for their content. Comments or suggestions about their inclusion here, or about other web-based resources on ethics and conflict of interest that may be useful to ATS members, staff and others participating in ATS activities, may be made to Shane McDermott at ATS at smcdermott@thoracic.org or 212-315-8650. Order of listing is alphabetical.