Statement attributed to:
Steven J. Stack, MD
President, American Medical Association

"The American Medical Association (AMA) is committed to transparency and the availability of information for patients to make informed decisions about their medical care. However, it is extremely important that data made available to the public is valid, reliable, and complete. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the data released today has not been independently validated by physicians, which makes it less usable for the patients it's intended to benefit.

"While we appreciate the efforts of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to verify the data submitted by industry, the complicated and cumbersome process for physicians to register to review their data and seek correction of any inaccuracies continues to hinder their participation in the validation process.

"Patients deserve to have access to accurate information. Publishing inaccurate data leads to misinterpretations, harms reputations and undermines the sacred trust that patients have in their physicians. It can also discourage research and care delivery improvements that help patients as well.

"While the AMA strongly opposes inappropriate, unethical interactions between physicians and industry, there are relationships that can help drive innovation in patient care and provide significant resources for professional medical education that ultimately benefits patients.

"We look forward to continuing to work with CMS to improve the Open Payments system to ensure that data is presented in an accurate and informative way that will help patients understand and interpret the information correctly."

Editor's Note: The AMA released a guide to media reporting on the Sunshine Act, accessible here.