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 .