Non-financial conflict of interest in social intervention trials and systematic reviews: An analysis of the issues with case studies and proposals for management

Montgomery, Paul; Weisman, Clio Belle

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105642

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Research suggests that if study authors play a direct role, studies are more likely to be biased in favour of the treatment intervention (Eisner, 2009; Maynard et al, 2017; Montgomery & Belle Weisman, 2021). There is a distinct possibility that researchers of the included studies delivered the interventions themselves, leading to a further source of bias.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is highly likely that they will have a vested interest in wanting the teaching of communication skills to be successful, particularly if they have been involved in the development of the intervention(s) under investigation. Researcher allegiance bias, and the challenges this presents are increasingly being recognised (Grundy et al, 2020; Montgomery & Belle Weisman, 2021; Uttley & Montgomery, 2017; Yoder et al, 2019). Whilst some risks of bias have been reduced within the included studies, they have not been eliminated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Reith‐Hall

Montgomery

2023

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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Background Good communication is central to effective social work practice, helping to develop constructive working relationships and improve the outcomes of people in receipt of social work services. There is strong consensus that the teaching and learning of communication skills for social work students is an essential component of social work qualifying courses. However, the variation in communication skills training and its components is significant. There is a sizeable body of evidence relating to communication skills training therefore a review of the findings helps to clarify what we know about this important topic in social work education. We conducted this systematic review to determine whether communication skills training for social work students works and which types of communication skills training, if any, were more effective and lead to the most positive outcomes. Objectives This systematic review aimed to critically evaluate all studies which have investigated the effectiveness of communication skills training programmes for social work students. The research question which the review posed is: ‘What is the effectiveness of communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of social work students?’ It was intended that the review would provide a robust evaluation of communication skills training for social work students and help explain variations in practice to support educators and policy‐makers to make evidence‐based decisions in social work education, practice and policy. Search Methods We conducted a search for published and unpublished studies using a comprehensive search strategy that included multiple electronic databases, research registers, grey literature sources, and reference lists of prior reviews and relevant studies. Selection Criteria Study selection was based on the following characteristics: Participants were social work students on generic (as opposed to client specific) qualifying courses; Interventions included any form of communication skills training; eligible studies were required to have an appropriate comparator such as no intervention or an alternative intervention; and outcomes included changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviours. Study selection was not restricted by geography, language, publication date or publication type. Data Collection and Analysis The search strategy was developed using the terms featuring in existing knowledge and practice reviews and in consultation with social work researchers, academics and the review advisory panel, to ensure that a broad range of terminology was included. One reviewer conducted the database searches, removing duplicates and irrelevant records, after which each record was screened by title and abstract by both reviewers to ensure robustness. Any studies deemed to be potentially eligible were retrieved in full text and screened by both reviewers. Main Results Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Overall, findings indicate that communication skills training including empathy ca...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Reith‐Hall

Montgomery

2023

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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“…Another concern is that the study authors are predominantly social work academics conducting research within their own institutions. Therefore, the credibility of these studies is potentially threatened by researcher allegiance, positionality and confirmation bias (Montgomery & Weisman, 2021). The studies included in this review are not large multi-team trials, rather the study authors are working in small groups or alone, which hampers the resources available to them to mitigate bias in data collection and analysis procedures.…”

Section: Discussion and Applications To Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

The Teaching and Learning of Communication Skills in Social Work Education

Reith‐Hall

Montgomery

2022

Research on Social Work Practice

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Purpose This article presents a systematic review of research into the teaching and learning of communication skills in social work education. Methods We conducted a systematic review, adhering to the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews for Interventions and PRISMA reporting guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Results Sixteen records reporting on fifteen studies met the eligibility criteria. Studies consisted of randomised trials and quasi-experimental designs. Outcome measures included knowledge, attitudes and skills. Significant heterogeneity meant a narrative synthesis rather than meta-analysis was undertaken. Systematic communication skills training supports the development of students’ communication skills including the demonstration of expressed empathy and interviewing skills. Discussion The existing body of literature is limited but promising. Researchers conducting studies into communication skills training should seek to carry out robust and rigorous outcomes-focused studies. Further investigation into the theoretical underpinnings of the educational interventions and the roles played by key stakeholders is also required.

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“…The ethical and policy debate concerning COIs initially focused on financial interests in research, but in recent years non-financial interests, such as personal or professional relationships, political activity, involvement in litigation, and even philosophical or religious beliefs have also become an important concern (Grundy, 2021; McKinney and Pierce, 2017; Montgomery and Belle Weisman, 2021; Nature, 2018; Neill et al, 2020; Radun, 2021; Rosenberg, 2017; Saver, 2012; Wiersma et al, 2018). Although policies related to scientific grant review, 3 human, and animal research 4,5 and research misconduct 6 have for many years covered non-financial COIs, journals have also begun to address them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disclosing and managing non-financial conflicts of interest in scientific publications

Resnik

2023

Research Ethics

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In the last decade, there has been increased recognition of the importance of disclosing and managing non-financial conflicts of interests to safeguard the objectivity, integrity, and trustworthiness of scientific research. While funding agencies and academic institutions have had policies for addressing non-financial interests in grant peer review and research oversight since the 1990s, scientific journals have been only recently begun to develop such policies. An impediment to the formulation of effective journal policies is that non-financial interests can be difficult to recognize and define. Journals can overcome this problem by providing guidance concerning the types of non-financial interests that should be disclosed, including direct research interests, direct professional interests, expert testimony, involvement in litigation, holding a leadership position in a non-governmental organization, providing technical or scientific advice to a non-governmental organization, and personal or professional relationships. The guidance should apply to authors, editors, and reviewers.

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Non-financial conflict of interest in social intervention trials and systematic reviews: An analysis of the issues with case studies and proposals for management

Cited by 8 publications

References 33 publications

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

Communication skills training for improving the communicative abilities of student social workers: A systematic review

The Teaching and Learning of Communication Skills in Social Work Education

Disclosing and managing non-financial conflicts of interest in scientific publications

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