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Why we have two conflict of interest policies for the Cochrane Library content?

Many Cochrane Reviews would already have been underway when the 2020 policy was launched, so to apply the policy retrospectively would create an significant burden for Cochrane Review Groups and was considered to be unfair to existing author teams. As a result the 2014 Commercial Sponsorship Policy and the Conflict of Interest Policy for Cochrane Library Content will run in parallel for some time. This ‘two-policy’ transitional period to last until the reviews and updates that had started before July 1st, 2020 have been published; from thereon the 2020 policy will apply. 

When/how to use the 2020 Conflict of Interest Policy for Cochrane Library Content

The new policy should be used for any Cochrane title registered after the 1st of July 2020, or any updates where work begins after July 1st, 2020. Those declarations should then be reviewed at protocol submission, protocol publication, review submission and review publication for accuracy and completeness. 

When/how to use the 2014 Commercial Sponsorship Policy

The 2014 policy should be used when reviewing author declarations for work on Cochrane Protocols, Reviews, and Updates that began before July 1st, 2020. It should also be used when revising those declarations on at prior to publication. If a protocol was published before the 1st of July 2020, but the review will not publish till after that date; the review will need to adhere to the old policy.

Summary of differences between the 2020 and 2014 policies

The 2020 policy has been strengthened in a number of ways and restructured to make it easier to follow as it is organized to reflect roles and activities. 

The most important changes in the 2020 policy are as follows:

  • It focuses on Cochrane Library content only and those involved in creating it. A companion policy to cover other Cochrane contributors will be developed separately, but in the meanwhile the 2014 policy applies to all other contributors..

  • The proportion of conflict free authors required in a team has increased from a simple majority (>50%) to two-thirds or more (≥67%). 

  • Last authors will be treated in the same way as first authors and must be entirely free of conflicts.

  • Authors of industry-funded clinical studies eligible for inclusion in a Cochrane Review will be prohibited from being the first or last author on that review.

  • The difference between payments made to the individual’s home institution rather than to them personally has been clarified.

  • Reviews funded by not-for-profit organizations with a specific interest in the outcome may be assessed by Cochrane’s Conflict of Interest Arbiter Panel and the Editor in Chief.

  • All Cochrane Review Group and Editorial and Methods Department staff should be free from relevant financial conflicts of interest.

  • Cochrane authors must declare non-financial interests and think critically about how these might influence the results of the review.

Process for developing the 2020 Conflict of Interest Policy for Cochrane Library Content

In 2018 the Governing Board asked the Editor in Chief to revise Cochrane’s Conflict of Interest (COI) policy. A COI Revision Project Team, working with the support of a Project Board, developed a set of recommendations for the Governing Board. The first part of the project involved gathering background information to inform the new COI policy. More information about the work carried out in 2018/2019 can be found here.

The recommendations were discussed and approved by the Governing Board and Cochrane Council at the end of 2019. Following that, a new CoI policy was drafted, reviewed, and signed off on the 27th of February 2020.