Abstract
460 Background: Gender and geographic disparities in academic medicine, along with conflict of interest in medical education, necessitate examination for promoting equity and inclusivity in hematology and oncology education. This study presents the first analysis of authors' gender, authorship country diversity, and conflict of interest status in the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) educational books. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on articles from ASCO, encompassing all volumes from 2012 up to 2022 and ASH educational books including all volumes from 2000 up to 2022. Author information was obtained from the ASCO and ASH educational book websites. Results: The analysis encompassed 2,784 articles. Females accounted for 44.2% of first authors and 37.6% of last authors in ASCO educational books, as well as 38.8% of first authors and 38.5% of last authors in ASH educational books. Among educational articles, the lowest female participation was in articles discussing colorectal cancer (26.7%), followed by global health (28.0%) and tumor biology (31.0%). The number of females first and last authors in ASCO and ASH educational articles increased significantly over time (p < 0.001). The presence of international authors in articles remained relatively stable. Among articles with international female first authors, Canada had the highest proportion (24.4%), followed by the UK (18.4%) and Italy (11.0%). Similarly, for international female last authors, Canada ranked highest (26.2%), followed by the UK (20.5%) and Italy (12.0%). Repeated authorship roles along with diversity of authorship institutions will be further investigated. Of the articles analyzed, 59.6% reported at least one author with a conflict of interest, while 26.7% reported no conflict of interest for any author. Information on conflict of interest was not provided in 13.7% of the articles. Research funding was the most common type of conflict of interest (47.7%), followed by honoraria (33.4%) and travel accommodations and expenses (15.8%). The prevalence of conflicts of interest increased slightly over time, but not significantly. Conclusions: Our study suggests that female authorship has increased significantly over time. International authorship remained stable, with Canada having the highest proportion. To build on this positive momentum, it is essential to continue our efforts in further increasing female representation, promoting transparency in conflict-of-interest reporting, and mitigating potential biases in medical education.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
