A New COI Committee and Ex Officio Ethicist Position Have Been Created
Burr Ridge, Ill. – July 16, 2008 – NASS’ recent Board of Directors meeting, held June 26-28, 2008, yielded some positive additions to current ethics and conflict of interest policies. The Conflict of Interest (COI) Review Committee was created after the Board voted unanimously in its favor. This COI Review Committee will assist NASS members in determining – from an unbiased perspective – the existence and/or severity of potential conflicts and their proper disclosure. It also will evaluate potential candidates for leadership positions in the organization. The COI Review Committee will be populated and ready to serve NASS members in time for the NASS 23rd Annual Meeting in October 2008.
The COI Review Committee was created to augment NASS’ current ethics-related committees, including the Professional Conduct and Ethics Committee, which addresses members’ complaints of violations of standards of professional conduct, and the Ethics Task Force, an informal task force created specifically to review NASS’ disclosure and ethics policies and recommend revisions that would strengthen these policies.
After another unanimous vote from the NASS Board of Directors, a new ex officio position for a professional ethicist was created. This non-voting member of the Board will advise NASS on ethics issues as they relate to all NASS business, especially the management of organizational conflicts of interest that arise naturally due to NASS’ relationships with exhibitors and sponsors at various continuing medical education activities, and industry partners in relation to NASS’ medical education facility, the Spine Masters Institute. The selection process for finding this ethicist is underway and the Board hopes to appoint someone to the position by September of this year.
Additionally, the NASS Conflict of Interest Disclosure Policy is being revised in the hopes of strengthening other current policies. The final decisions regarding these revisions will be made at the next Board of Directors meeting at the NASS Annual Meeting in October. The NASS Ethics Task Force has been charged with moving this project forward.
The NASS Board of Directors is committed to promoting and ensuring the highest level of ethics for its members and has created an environment in which full disclosure is not only encouraged, but mandatory. NASS continues to strive to “raise the bar” for ethics, within NASS and the entire field of spine care.
For more information on current NASS policies on ethics and disclosures, as well as a timeline of NASS’ actions regarding ethics throughout the years, please visit the following URL: http://www.spine.org/Pages/PracticePolicy/EthicsProfConduct/Default.aspx
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The North American Spine Society (NASS) grew out of the need for a scientific spine society that would include all members of the spine community regardless of specialty or locale. NASS is a multidisciplinary organization that advances quality spine care through education, research and advocacy. NASS members are MDs, DOs and PhDs in 24 spine-related specialties including orthopedics, neurosurgery, physiatry, pain management and other disciplines. Nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, chiropractors, physical therapists, practice administrators and other
allied health care professionals involved in spine care are also part of the NASS membership. For more information on spine care or to find a spine specialist in your area, please contact 866.960.NASS (6277) or visit www.spine.org.
For further information, contact:
Jean-Marie O'Neal
Toll-free: (866) 960-NASS (6277)
Direct: (630) 230-3650
Fax: (630) 230-3750