Healthcare Hygiene magazine November 2019 | Page 6

h ealthcarehygienemagazine from the editor In an Era of Rejecting Facts, Stick to the Science W Kelly M. Pyrek editor & publisher [email protected] e live in an era where studies contradict each other, the mainstream media coverage of them can be skewed, and as a result, the public ignores the research completely. As one researcher puts it, “One study says coffee is good for you, while another study says that it’s not. They’re both right, within context. This dichotomy together with an environment of distrust spurred by anecdotes, fake news, and to a large extent, social media, has created a skeptical and misinformed public. As a result, society is rejecting the facts.” Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine say medical researchers must help the public understand the rigorous process of science. In return, the public must understand that the answers are not just black or white. The best way for medical researchers to meet this challenge, experts say, is by continuing to ensure integrity, rigor, reproducibility and replication of their science and to earn the public’s trust by being morally responsible and completely free of any influences. “The reason that the public has lost trust and confidence in science is multifaceted and complicated,” says Janet Robishaw, PhD, senior associate dean for research, and chair of the Department of Biomedical Science. “One of the main reasons is anecdotal stories, which can be very powerful, and are being given too much weight. There’s so much news coming out from so many sources including social media. That’s why it’s imperative for the public to discern an anecdote from scientific results in a peer-reviewed journal.” She emphasizes that research integrity begins with investigators who share the guiding principles of honesty, openness, and accountability. As researchers compete for increasingly limited resources, broad consensus is required across the research enterprise to address these increasingly major clinical, ethical and legal challenges. “The more we can do as scientists to promote our guiding principles of rigor, transparency, honesty and reproducibility and to provide the best evidence possible and get people to understand them, the greater the likelihood that they will listen to the message and follow it.” Among the opportunities the authors provide for enhancing research integrity include identifying the best benchmarking practices, establishing a research compliance infrastructure and implementing a quality assurance plan. These priorities should include assessing the research climate, devel- oping policies and responsibilities for ethics investigations, and providing a process for resolution of formal disputes. In addition, establishing lists of independent experts to conduct periodic reviews of institutional procedures could be helpful. “If we fail to maintain research integrity, we will lose public trust and it will lead to substantial penalties, financial and otherwise, adverse publicity and reputational damage,” says Robishaw. “Scientists must strive to self-regulate and earn public trust to advance health.” Infection prevention stakeholders can do their part by becoming more discerning consumers of scientific research, demanding randomized controlled trials, and applying translational research to their IPC-related work. Until next month, bust those bugs! Kelly M. Pyrek Editor & Publisher [email protected] 6 A.G. Hettinger president & CFO Patti Valdez art director Eileen Williams sales and marketing specialist [email protected] Linda Lybert business development consultant J. Christine Phillips customer service manager Send inquiries to: [email protected] Healthcare Hygiene magazine is published monthly by Keystone Media Inc. 8925 Ridgeline Boulevard, suite 106, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129. Free digital subscriptions available at www.healthcarehygienemagazine.com for U.S., Canada and other foreign subscribers. Copyright © 2019 Keystone Media Inc. All rights reserved. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject any advertising or editorial material. Advertisers, and/or their agents, assume the responsibility for all content of published advertisements and assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the advertisement. Editorial contributors assume responsibility for their published works and assume responsibility for any claims against the publisher based on the published work. All items submitted to Healthcare Hygiene magazine become the sole property of Keystone Media Inc. Editorial content may not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. november 2019 • www.healthcarehygienemagazine.com