Ethics Forum: The ACR Code in Practice

In Conclusion

The application of the ACR Code of Ethics to day-to-day practice underscores the organization’s commitment to ethical conduct and accountability. Through case scenarios we demonstrate how the code aids us in managing COI, fostering transparency and promoting ethical, equitable treatment of research participants and patients. In this way, the ACR upholds ethical leadership within the field, contributing to the goal of advancing patient care and bolstering public trust in our profession.

Prajakta Masurkar, PhD, MPharm, is a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) senior manager at Amgen, specializing in evidence generation for payers in inflammation and rare diseases (lupus, atopic dermatitis, prurigo nodularis and alopecia areata). She is a member of the ACR Committee on Ethics and COI.

Charis Meng, MD, is a clinical rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, whose research interests include tapering rheumatoid arthritis therapies and different pain patterns of rheumatoid arthritis. She is a member of the ACR Committee on Ethics and COI.

Disclosures

Prajakta Masurkar, PhD, MPharm, is an employee and stockholder of Amgen.

References

1. Code of Ethics of the American College of Rheumatology, Inc. American College of Rheumatology. 2017 Aug. https://tinyurl.com/54xkyxbe.
2. Varkey B. Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Med Princ Pract. 2021;30(1):17–28.
3. Wallace ZS, Harkness T, Fu X, et al. Treatment delays associated with prior authorization for infusible medications: A cohort study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2020 Nov;72(11):1543–1549.
4. Lo B, Field MJ, editors. Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press; 2009. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22926.

*These scenarios are fictional. Any resemblance to any real-life persons is purely coincidental.

Question? Email the editor at [email protected].