The front page of today's Wall Street Journal (December 12 2005) describes another situation - this time at the "famous" Cleveland Clinic. Here's the basics of this story;
Cleveland Clinic has a machine they use for a certain heart procedure.The clinic owns stock in the company that makes the machine and actually helped fund the development of the machine (the clinic supplied $25 million). A heart surgeon at the clinic who uses the machine has been on the board of the company that makes the machine. Over 1,200 people have had procedures at Cleveland Clinc where the machine was used. No patient was informaed that there was a relationship between the clinic and the manufacturer.
It is important to note that the machine in questions is not approved by the FDA for the procedure it's used for. The patients on whom the machine has been used are actually part of the studies needed to obtain official approval. That makes them research subjects. And yet they didn't know that their procedure was experimental.
This all stinks and Cleveland Clinic has been taking steps to clean up this little (?) mess, but it's too late. The horse is out of the barn. A lot of people know that the clinic's reputation is (or should be) tarnished. I believe that the doctors involved ought to be tried for every type of wrongdoing possible - but they probably won't be. Instead they may loose a position here or a title there but the funding, fees and kickbacks will probably continue to flow just not as obviously.
Those among us charged with our health are prostituting themselves. People at the FDA hold positions in industry that are clear conflicts of interest. Millions of dollars are being diverted to the people we should be holding in high regard. In response to our grattitude those men and women are engaging in the most horrific forms of ethical misconduct. The worst punishment MIGHT be a mild slap on the wrist. Nobody involved will suffer a consequence even remotely comensurate with the ethical offense. Why? Everyone "up there" is in on the schemes, scams, and chicanery.
Nobody can blow the whistle too loudly for fear they'll call attention to their own form of robbery.
On the one hand I can drop my head and bemoan the fact that we DON'T have a chance. Then I remember that WE can make a difference if we work on it. My task is to let as many people know about evil doings in medicine. Once enough people know there will have to be a response. The house will topple. I have to believe this or succomb to depression.
