A task force from UW Hospital recommended Thursday a series of conflict-of-interest rules be implemented in the institution.
The recommendations come after a controversy over Dr. Thomas Zdeblick, a UW Hospital orthopedic spin surgeon, who earned over $19 million in royalties from a medical device company. Officials expressed skepticism about Zdeblick's compliance with protocol in reporting salary. However, in January 2008, officials decided Zdeblick had in fact followed UW Hospital protocol and reported his salary after it reached $120,000.
With the new recommendations, drafted by 15 hospital staff members, physicians would be required to report total salary amounts on disclosure forms. The recommendations differ from current policies, which require physicians to report salaries that exceed $5,000, $10,000 or $20,000.
The task force addressed issues of conflict of interest in its recommendations, stating, ""UW Health care providers are representatives even when performing outside activities.""
Among several important recommendations, the task force suggested the oversight and management of health-care provider interactions with industry through a UW Healthcare Industry Interactions Conflict of Interest Committee.
The committee would handle the pre-approval of activity with the industry, review educational materials, institute a management plan for interactions with patients and grant or deny permission to participate in such activities.
