The investigative report reveals significant issues with the Healthcare Transparency Register, which is meant to disclose payments from the medical industry to doctors. Here are the key findings:
1. **Incomplete Register:** The register is found to be incomplete, with missing payments from medical companies to doctors.
2. **Complicated Search Process:** Users encounter difficulties in searching for information in the register, often receiving error messages.
3. **Lack of Transparency:** Payments made to legal entities, such as companies and foundations, are untraceable for the general public, making it less transparent.
4. **Cardiologists and Payments:** Cardiologists receive substantial payments, sometimes in the millions, from medical companies for research and services. These payments are often made directly to cardiologists, bypassing hospitals.
5. **Bribery Concerns:** The report raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the appearance of bribery, as medical companies seek to influence doctors through financial incentives.
6. **Lack of Hospital Oversight:** Hospitals are often unaware of the payments made directly to their cardiologists, indicating a lack of oversight and adherence to the professional code of conduct.
7. **Code of Conduct Violations:** Payments made without proper approval from hospital boards violate the code of conduct intended to prevent bribery.
8. **Responses:** Both the cardiologists and hospitals acknowledge the issues and commit to reporting payments in the future. The cardiologists deny any influence from medical companies.
In summary, the report highlights a lack of transparency, potential conflicts of interest, and violations of professional codes of conduct in the relationship between medical companies, doctors, and hospitals.
Here are the key facts from the provided text:
1. Cardiologists receive payments from medical companies, sometimes in millions of euros.
2. These payments create a potential conflict of interest and the appearance of bribery.
3. The Healthcare Transparency Register is meant to track these payments.
4. The register is incomplete, with many missing payments.
5. Doctors, including cardiologists, are allowed to accept money but should follow a code of conduct.
6. Hospitals should be aware of payments made to their doctors but often aren't.
7. Payments to doctors by medical companies should have approval from hospitals to prevent bribery.
Please note that the information is summarized from the text without including opinions.