Combat Injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan Help Rewrite the Book on War Surgery

Abstract

man DJ et al. JAMA. 2009;301[13]: 1367-1372). The recommendations, which reflect these individuals’ personal opinions, not those of their respective organizations, include a suggested ban on branded gifts (such as bags at organizations’ meetings) and an end to medical organizations’ collaboration with company-sponsored satellite symposia (which may include continuing medical education). The report also recommends that associations seek nonindustry funding sources. Cutting industry funding may require cuts in programs as well, noted the authors, who acknowledged that such funding may make up a substantial portion of organizations’ budgets. James H. Scully Jr, MD, one of the authors and medical director and CEO of the APA, said in a press conference that physicians may need to pay more for their continuing education, as other professionals do. There also may be some political support for public funding of physician education. On April 1, legislators in the House of Representatives and the Senate introduced the Independent Drug Education and Outreach Act. The bill would provide grants to produce and disseminate unbiased educational materials for physicians on the safety, efficacy, and costs of medications. Funding for these grants could come from the $400 million in stimulus funding that the Department of Health and Human Services received to develop and disseminate comparative effectiveness research, according to the sponsors of the bill. In the meantime, associations cutting industry funding are making their own adjustments. The APA’s decision means a loss of more than $1 million in annual income, Stotland estimated. This lost revenue, as well as a dip in the organization’s reserves caused by the economic downturn, is being offset by a simultaneous effort to lower the costs of governing the group. Stotland said that the organization has cut staff, decreased the number of working groups and committees by at least one-third, tightened the assembly’s budget by 20%, and reduced the number of assembly meetings from 2 to 1 per year. “We anticipate we can get at least as much work done and as much, if not more, member involvement by having electronic meetings or member forums through our Web sites,” she said. She added that she and her colleagues are hopeful no cuts to services or educational programs will be necessary.