In the posting dated 1/19/99 by David Sackett ([log in to unmask]), the
position of the WAME condeming the firing of JAMA editor George Lundberg was
stated and included the comment that, "By its actions, the AMA has brought
into question its commitment to the vital principle of editorial independence.
In doing so, it has seriously undermined the integrity and standing of both
the journal and the association"
Well said. Moreover, one might ask: Is this action really surprising coming
from the AMA?. Remember, this is the same group that so readily entered into,
and then quickly and sheepishly backed out of, the ethically questionnable
"partnership" with Sunbeam Corporation, then headed by the controversial Al
"Chainsaw" Dunlop, a deal which gave the AMA's official endorsement to a
variety of health products marketed by Sunbeam. In short order, this 'deal'
was widely and uniformly condemed as a sellout - a major lapse in ethical and
organizational judgement - as evidenced by the appearance of highly critical
editorials in the New York Times, USA Today, and a number of other national
publications. AMA rapidly backed out of this deal and subsequently fired a
number of high-level staff members believed to be responsible for the
conceptualiztion of the Sunbeam deal. In the court of public opinion, the
AMA's action was seen as a crass move to augment the revenues of an
organization desperate to retain and recruit physician membership; only 1500
of the annual16,000 US medical graduates join AMA, and it now represents less
than 40% of the nation's physician population. The unfortunate action to
dismiss Dr. Lundberg, a progressive and thoughtfull medical editor who has
raised the profile of JAMA during his 17 year tenure, will likely come back to
haunt the AMA and only reinforce the public impression that this is an
organization hidebound to decades of medical imperilaism, one now correctly
percieved to be mostly concerned with self-interest, and one obviosly out of
touch with modern medical and public opinion.
James Cawley
Professor of Health Care Sciences
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Professor of Epidemiology
Professor of Prevention and Community Health
School of Public Health and Health Services
The George Washington University
Washington, DC, USA
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