Physician Relationships with the Healthcare Industry

Physician–industry relationships (PIRs) have been highlighted as a potential source of inappropriate influence on physician decision making and a possible contributor to escalating healthcare costs. After a 2004 survey showed high frequencies of various PIRs (JW Gen Med Apr 25 2007), several professional, academic, and political organizations worked to reduce PIRs, and national legislation was passed to require disclosure.

In 2009, researchers sent the same survey to nearly 3000 physicians in seven primary care and specialty disciplines; about 1900 responded. The frequency of PIRs was highest among cardiologists (92.8%) and lowest among psychiatrists (79.8%). Frequency of PIRs declined in all areas in 2009 compared with 2004, including recei…