When the International Society for Publication Professionals (ISMPP) was founded in 2005 it was with the intention that the society would become the pre-eminent voice and authority in the field of medical publishing. As we just hosted our 9th Annual Meeting and look to convene for our 10th next year, we have moved beyond our formative years and now find ourselves in a position – and with the responsibility – to take a leadership stand on current issues surrounding medical data publishing and ensuring best practices throughout the global research community.
ISMPP recently took a pioneering step by passing a resolution for reduced membership and certification exam fees for publication professionals from the Asia-Pacific region and/or World-Bank designated lower income countries. This has already resulted in a record-high number of ISMPP Certified Medical Publication Professional applicants for the Spring 2013 exam cycle. Further, the Society also held its first-ever Asia-Pacific ISMPP University webinar, focused on ethical publication practices and applying GPP2 in the Asia-Pacific region. ISMPP’s efforts to make membership, professional certification, and regionally relevant educational opportunities more accessible across the globe are an important step forward in leading efforts to build and maintain professional standards in these regions.
But there is much more to be done. Recent months have brought major developments impacting the world of medical publishing – clinical data-sharing decrees on the part of some industry, journal and regulatory constituents; a final ruling on The Physician Payment Sunshine Act; and launch of the AllTrials campaign, to name a few. While progress has certainly been made, there remains for some stakeholders a lingering mistrust of medical research; some with good reason and some based on inaccuracies perpetuated by ill-informed third parties. As a consequence, the perceived clinical utility of research findings is sometimes questioned by clinicians and other stakeholders, including patients.
Taking a stand
As a society that has matured and grown, ISMPP will be making a greater and more visible commitment to the professional space by taking a proactive stance on many of the issues and challenges facing our profession. Whether alone or in partnership with other like-minded groups, ISMPP has a responsibility to set standards. We need to speak up, articulate the ‘how to’ and uphold our core purpose – transparent and ethical scientific exchange.
For the future, perhaps we can look to positively influence other areas such as health literacy. Opportunity abounds. ISMPP needs to lead the way.