Financial Disclosure for Diabetes Advisors? – Nascar Jacket Style?

Update:

Since I originally wrote this post  much has been made about the ‘money connections’ with  members of the government.

• the medical industry should wear nascar-style jackets.
• government officials should wear nascar-style jackets.

A suggestion was made that people in government should wear uniforms like Nascar drivers showing who is ‘sponsoring’ them. Personally I agree.

 

I’d take it another step however and say that doctors and diabetes educators should do the same as well.   This includes the American Diabetes Association as well as the American Association of Diabetes Educators… both of whom receive large donations from groups who benefit from their low fat, grain based, high carb meal plans.

I would love to see Dr. Oz or Hope Warshaw decked out in the uniform similar to Mr. Farrell.

Would you not like to see your doctor’s ‘sponsors’?

 

If you think this is too harsh… read this article and then tell me what you think.

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This post will discuss a recent article showing bias by doctors …depending on their ownership of treatment centers.

Financial incentives affect surgical decisions– this article is revealing…  It should not come as a surprise or should it?

Your odds of going under the knife may depend on whether or not your orthopedic surgeon has a financial stake in your treatment center, suggests a new study.

Patients receiving care for their wrist, rotator cuff or knee from a provider with ownership in the facility were up to twice as likely to have surgery compared to those treated by non-owners.

Just to recap what the article is pointing out…

If your orthopedic surgeon has partial ownership of a “treatment center” where knee replacements are done. You are twice as likely to have a knee replacement. …. hmmm….

That is human nature, when we as humans make decisions, we are often affected by conscious and subconscious thoughts. The article applies to Orthopedic doctors but we should know it applies to all doctors, to all people. That’s why there are financial disclosure laws in the financial services industry.

As I read the article my mind began to wander, as it is apt to do.

Diabetes Mellitus and obesity is such a growth industry (believe me, it is an industry and it is growing). I can certainly understand if a doctor or CDE invested in a “diabetes medication provider”(BigPharma) or in a “Diabetes Amputation Clinic” or a “Bariatric Surgery Clinic” etc I mean, let’s be honest….

1) You can’t blame someone for wanting to invest in a growth industry.

2) Doctors and Certified Diabetes Educators (CDE) already profit directly from continuing the “carb up and shoot up” failed policies…..

3) As the article above shows… greed will bias our opinions and decisions.

Papers Please ?

I believe, just as financial institutions should provide investors with a listing of their “holdings”, Medical Advisors should do that as well. IF they recommend a drug, they should announce if they have any ownership rights and any “arrangements” to receive kickbacks, loans, gifts, “awards”, payments or gratuities… it should be required for all those who provide medical advice or services.

Of course this would apply to ALL the board members of the American Diabetes Association haha! … wouldn’t you love to see all the stock they own in Glaxo, Eli Lilly, Roche Medical etc etc.   THAT would make them squirm.  TALK ABOUT SHINING THE LIGHT OF DAY!!!

After all, if your ADA MINION,  doctor or CDE had stock in Glaxo, you might want to know that when they start pushing you to eat grains and take Avandia.

It’s already immoral and unethical  for doctors and CDEs to push a “carb up and shoot up” meal plan when they directly profit from harmful advice…

…. we should AT LEAST have financial disclosures so we’ll know when they indirectly profit from their advice.

What do YOU think ????

Imagine IF financial disclosure was the law for those dispensing medical advice. At your next appointment with your “Certified Diabetes Educator” … when they suggest you eat more grains instead of a truly low carb diet,  it may cause you pause….

Oh! before I go… I have no financial holdings in any medical services nor pharmaceutical nor food industry companies. :)

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