Study design and study participants
This retrospective study examined the magnitude and trends in financial relationships between pharmaceutical companies and all otorhinolaryngologists board-certified by the Japanese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (JSO-HNS). As the JSO-HNS did not disclose the name list of board-certified otorhinolaryngologists for the previous years, we considered all board-certified otorhinolaryngologists in 2021. The JSO-HNS, established in 1893, is the sole and most authoritative professional medical society certifying otorhinolaryngologists in the field of otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery in Japan. The JSO-HNS has contributed to training otorhinolaryngologists, funded clinical trials and basic research, published many clinical practice guidelines for otorhinolaryngological diseases, and issued the English-language academic journal (Auris Nasus Larynx ). This study defined leading otorhinolaryngologists as board-certified otorhinolaryngologists authoring clinical practice guidelines, board members of JSO-HNS, and editorial members ofAuris Nasus Larynx .