This writing assignment requires you to write a paper identifying all apparent and real conflicts of interest related to the Case Study in the attached articles and make recommendations for managing, eliminating, or reducing the conflicts of interest.
This assignment must be 3 to 5 pages in length, single-spaced, 12 point font, and 1 inch margins. References are to be listed in a separate final page of the assignment
Answer preview
In the above case between the patients vs. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, there are various incidences of conflict of interest highlighted, which has made the whole research process questionable. The organization’s whole research process remains contestable as the patient’s families found a conflict of interest among the trial investigators. To avoid such a scenario, the research centers must ensure the whole research process is credible, fair, and free from any conflict of interests. one of the issues presented in the above case is the financial conflict of interests. As outlined in the above case, some researchers were suspected of having financial interests from bone marrow transplant trials. According to Kuszler (2001), the family of the patients felt that the information about financial interests by the medical research team was not disclosed to patients who were critical in their process of making informed decisions. They believed that the physicians were required to indicate any actual or potential conflicts of interest in the trials’ outcomes. The Seattle Times disclosed that the trial was conducted by the physicians who had shares in the company. Therefore, this affirmed that the trial investigators expected to garn proceeds from the trial antibodies. Also, the family argued that the trial investigators interfered with IRB reviewing and approval exercise. They argued that the investigators intimidated IRB officials who were in a position to determine whether the duly process was followed in the clinical trials. The financial gain from the entire exercise was the major barrier to fair and independent exercise.
