Healthcare manufacturers find themselves on the horns of a dilemma regarding their relationships with physicians. Those relationships — particularly with clinical investigators — are essential to continued innovation. On the other hand, they’ve been specifically targeted by FDA and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for heightened scrutiny to root out abuse in rewarding product purchase decisions or endorsements. Finally, past practice regarding the selection and compensation of physicians for such services no longer withstands the stringent requirements DOJ is looking for to ensure appropriateness and transparency.

In their article Putting Value at the Center of Healthcare Professional Partnerships, published March 2010 in MD&DI Magazine, authors Stephen E. Rothenberg, J.D., Business Analyst and Michael N. Abrams, Managing Partner, provide guidelines for companies for building a structured framework to engage clinical investigators in a way that satisfies evolving requirements for transparency and value-based decision making.