General Question for the Week of August 12, 2019

Question:

What are the objectives of the Open Payments program?

Answer:

The Open Payments Program provides the public with further information about the financial relationships between physicians and teaching hospitals and applicable manufacturers and group purchasing organizations (GPOs). Specifically, the program:

• Fosters transparency about these financial ties
• Offers information on the type and extent of the relationships
• Tries to identify relationships that can both lead to the development of beneficial new technologies and wasteful healthcare spending
• Aims to prevent inappropriate influence on research, education and clinical decision making