Knowledge and Perceptions of Members and Staff of Ethics Committees and Investigators in China toward Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Research.

This survey analyzes the knowledge and perceptions of members and staff of ethics committee and investigators toward conflicts of interest in clinical research. This cross-sectional survey in China included 324 respondents from November to December 2022. The 12-item questionnaire estimated the knowledge of respondents on conflicts of interest and correct answers were given by at least 47%. According to perception scores, most respondents (88%) believed that strengthening conflicts of interest management was necessary, such as through national government, institutional regulation, ethics training, avoidance systems, timely reporting, the declaration and management of nonfinancial conflicts of interest, and the assessment of relevant conflicts of interest for the chief reviewer. However, less believed it was necessary to establish a conflicts of interest committee in institutions (74.1%), to enroll more members from other institutions (61.4%), and to avoid appointing a scientific research department leader as the chairperson of ethics committee (72.5%). Technical title and ethics training both significantly affected median knowledge scores (P < 0.05). Further, technical title and ethics training also had an obvious influence on the average perception score (P < 0.05). These findings are critical for enhancing conflicts of interest management in clinical research in China. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41649-025-00361-5.