Conflict of Interest Impacts Clinical Guidelines?

A March 28 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found financial conflict of interests (COIs) were "highly prevalent" among experts who drafted the most recent guidelines published by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. The study authors concluded these disclosed conflicts were a cause for concern. Interestingly, the abstract of the article contains the following "Clinical practice guidelines serve as standards of care in practice." Many medical experts involved in litigation refute this claim.

Arch Intern Med. 2010;171:577-584