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PRESS RELEASES << ISMPP Supports Best Practices and Transparency in Medical Publications: Better Understanding of Terms Such as “Ghostwriting” Needed
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ISMPP Supports Best Practices and Transparency in Medical Publications: Better Understanding of Terms Such as “Ghostwriting” Needed
Published 5 October 2009
The mission of the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) is to
advance the medical publication profession through education and advocacy. The
organization believes that to correct the growing misperceptions in the medical literature
and lay press around a number of critical issues involving medical publications, such as the
perception that all medical writing is performed by “ghostwriters,” it is critically important for
ISMPP to advocate faster adoption of standards and best practices.
“We support full transparency around data disclosure, acknowledgment and disclosure of
professional medical writers, and funding sources. We have the same commitment as the
health care community and the public in ensuring medical research and opinion are made
available via a transparent, rigorous, and professional process, and support all best
practices and current guidelines from organizations such as the International Council of
Medical Journal Editors,” said Al Weigel, President of ISMPP.
Increased attention has recently been given to the use of unacknowledged medical writers
(termed “ghostwriters”), a practice distinct from the appropriate, fully disclosed, and
acknowledged use of professional medical writers. The editor of Annals of Internal
Medicine, Christine Laine, noted the distinction in a related article in the Philadelphia
Inquirer (September 20, 2009), saying, ‘We don’t think the writing assistance per se is bad,
it’s when it’s not disclosed that it’s a problem.” A recent article in the Journal of the
American Medical Association also reported a significant decrease in unacknowledged
medical writing assistance (ghostwriting), but further progress needs to be made.
“Academic and industry involvement in medical publications will continue to be the subject
of media scrutiny and criticism. While it is important to properly identify poor practices, we
should not generalize or attribute poor practices in one small area to the entire industry,”
said Julia Ralston, President-Elect of ISMPP. “Responsible medical writing and publication
planning support the full disclosure of scientific data and ultimately benefit the public.”
ISMPP will continue to undertake a set of educational initiatives and reinforce best
practices on timely issues surrounding medical publications. International Society for
Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) Position Statement: The Role of the
Professional Medical Writer was published in a peer-reviewed journal (Current Medical
Research and Opinion. 2007;23(8):1837-1840) to delineate the differences between
recognized professional medical writers and undisclosed ghostwriters. As part of the
organization’s ongoing commitment, a key guidance document, developed by an ISMPP
Steering Committee, will soon be available that updates the initial Good Publication
Practice guidelines, published in 2003. This guidance document endorses the need for
practitioners to follow other key guidance documents such as those of the International
Committee of Medical Journal Editors. The reality is that publication standards have
advanced tremendously in recent years and all stakeholders in this multidisciplinary
process need to act in a professional manner consistent with the latest standards and
guidelines.
About ISMPP
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals is an independent non-profit
professional association with members from the pharmaceutical, medical device, and
biotechnology industries; publication planning and medical communication companies;
academia; and medical journal staff, including editors and publishers. Its goals are to
support the educational needs of publication professionals and to develop best practices
that ensure the rigorous maintenance of all ethical standards for reporting results of medical
research. Additional information about ISMPP is available by contacting the organization’s
Executive Director, Kimberly Goldin (phone: 914-945-0507; e-mail: kgoldin@ismpp.org), or
online at http://www.ismpp.org.
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Feedback: Do you have any comments about this article? Contact the Publisher, Peter Llewellyn.
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