Looking gift horses in the mouth: gift giving, incentives and conflict of interest in the dental profession
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A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by PAUL HELLYER ABSTRACT What is an (in)appropriate gift?
MAIN Holden ACL, Spallek H. _J Law Med_ 2018; 25: 794–799 Dental professionals may receive gifts or incentives from patients, dental suppliers or colleagues seeking referrals. Patient gifts
may range from a simple thank you card, to an offer of a day on a yacht. Suppliers may offer free toothbrushes and toothpaste or CPD courses. Specialist colleagues may offer free lunch and
learn sessions as an inducement for referrals. The authors argue that even the simple thank you card, although it would be churlish (and impossible) to refuse, may induce unconscious bias in
the care giver and alter the relationship between patient and professional, by creating an obligation to preferential treatment. Dentistry can be a lonely profession and sponsored social
events serve a useful function. Any recognition of a service well provided adds to job satisfaction. Others argue, however, that all gifts should be rejected. Because of the risks of
conflicts of interest and erosion of trust, this issue needs discussion in order to protect the integrity of the profession. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS
ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Looking gift horses in the mouth: gift giving, incentives and conflict of interest in the dental profession. _Br Dent J_ 224, 859 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.464 Download citation * Published: 08 June 2018 * Issue Date: 08 June 2018 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.464 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you
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