Prestigious Medical Institutions Fail to Report Important Information Vital to Patient Care

Stanford University and Sloan Kettering are among the medical institutions reportedly violating federal law by neglecting to publicly report clinical trial results, a STAT investigation has found. By failing to report data, these institutions have deprived patients and medical care professionals of vital knowledge essential to gauging the safety and benefit of emerging treatments. The federal database is often used by patients and their loved ones to compare the effectiveness and potential side effects of various treatment plans for deadly diseases such as breast cancer.

STAT cites Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of California, San Diego as the worst offenders. Since reporting became mandatory under federal law in 2008, all those institutions disclosed clinical trial results either late or simply not at all at least 95 percent of the time.

The availability of this information is critical to the decision making of patients and health care providers. While the federal government has the power to impose fines on institutions that fail to disclose information related to trial results, or to suspend further funding for research, it has yet to levy a single fine. This is unacceptable. In the information age, it should be easier – not harder – for patients to make informed decisions about the medical care they receive.

The attorneys at Swartz & Lynch have decades of experience in holding institutions accountable for their failures to prioritize individual health and safety. If you think you have been the victim of the negligence of another, do not hesitate to contact one of the experienced attorneys at Swartz & Lynch LLP. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.