Dealing with Conflicts of Interest

The medical profession in this country has always had its entrepreneurs and hustling businessmen, but until recently they were on the fringe and in a small minority. Most practicing physicians concentrated on providing or supervising services to their patients, and their professional income was largely limited to the fees or salaries paid for such services.Lately, however, a new entrepreneurial fever has begun to affect the profession, and what was formerly on the fringe seems to be moving into the mainstream. More and more practitioners are seeking profits from business arrangements with hospitals, equipment manufacturers, and most recently, companies providing . . .