Academic-industry relationships in the life sciences: extent, consequences, and management

Article Abstract:

Ethical concerns arise with academic-industry relationships (AIR) within the biomedical sciences. AIRs are agreements between members of academia, or academic institutions, and private industry to provide a service, patents of discoveries or intellectual property in exchange for some type of financial support for research. There are several different types of AIRs, and some AIRs may be a combination of these different types. The advantages of AIRs are that they may provide more opportunity for students and other individuals who are doing research. Another is that they can lead to a higher level of productivity within both academia and industry. The disadvantages include increased secrecy within the academic community, selection of research based on its marketability, bias in reporting results, and decreased public support for academic expertise. Members of the academic community and the federal government should be responsible for monitoring AIRs and reducing the number of risks associated with these arrangements.

Research, Universities and colleges, Industrial research, Ethical aspects, Life sciences, Business and education, Industry and education

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Total quality management and physicians' clinical decisions

Article Abstract:

Total quality management (TQM) is increasingly being applied to the clinical setting as concerns about the quality of health care rise. About 3,100 US hospitals now have programs in TQM, but physicians have largely been resistant to this approach to quality. Programs in TQM have been hailed by administrators but have not yet demonstrated their usefulness in assisting physicians with their decisions about patient care. TQM draws much from two principles of statistical quality control (SQC): quality must be measured to be managed or improved and variation in procedure or outcome should be measured. Applications of SQC could be especially useful in primary care. Primary care mostly involves patients who are in good health or have a chronic illness, and the goal is to maintain or improve health status. Health care providers could, for example, teach their patients to monitor their blood pressure and then call if the reading is above or below the accepted variation.

Usage, Medicine, Practice, Total quality management, Medical practice

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Managed care and medical education: the new fundamentals

Article Abstract:

Medical schools need to adapt to the challenges created by managed care organizations (MCOs). Most medical schools receive money from Medicare to train residents. However, many Medicare and Medicaid patients are enrolling in MCOs. Congress proposed a bill that would have reimbursed medical schools from general tax revenues. Schools must also make their operations more efficient. They must enter into cooperative agreements with MCOs to place residents in these settings. And they need to develop curricula to support managed care and teach students to be lifelong learners.

Editorial, Analysis, Innovations, Training, Medical colleges, Medical schools, Managed care plans (Medical care), Residents (Medicine)

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