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 affecting ATS members, staff, and others participating in ATS activities.

Current and planned site components are listed below. Please click on those of particular interest.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• (In development)

Policies:

• May 2008 ATS NEWS article: ATS Phases in New Policies on COI and Interactions with Tobacco Industry
• Summary of Definitions of Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Requirements
• Policy on Management of Conflict of Interest in Official ATS Documents, Projects and Conferences, as approved by the American Thoracic Society Board of Directors on March 14, 2008.  Please note: implementation of this policy is being “phased-in” during 2008 and 2009, with most new requirements becoming operational with 2009 ATS activities.


• 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.  Please note: implementation of this policy is being “phased-in” during 2008 and 2009, with most new requirements becoming operational with 2009 ATS activities.

Procedures:

• Disclosure Form and Procedures (for ATS activities other than the International Conference and Journals)
• 2008 International Conference COI Management Procedures
• ATS Journals COI Management Procedures (at ATS journals website, click on the particular journal of interest, and at its site click on “Instructions to Authors”)

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, such as those responsible for Documents Development & Implementation, Education, International Conference, Program and Budget, and Publications Policy are also integral to this process, as are each of the ATS Assemblies.

Staff Resources:

Staff oversight is provided by the ATS Executive Director Stephen Crane, PhD, MPH, who has assigned Shane McDermott as Senior Director – Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policies.  Staff may be reached at smcdermott@thoracic.org or 212-315-8650.

Outside Resources:

The following are web-based resources on ethics and conflict of interest management that 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 may be directed to ATS staff noted above.  Order of listing is alphabetical.

• American College of Physicians – Center for Ethics and Professionalism
  
• American Medical Association – Medical ethics
• American Nurses Association – Ethics and standards
  
• U.S. National Institutes of Health - Bioethics Resources on the Web
• U.S. National Institutes of Health - Ethics Program Website