The document outlines the development and objectives of Convey, a web-based global financial interest disclosure system initiated by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The primary aim of Convey is to provide individuals—such as researchers, clinicians, and authors—with a centralized platform where they can enter, manage, and directly disclose their financial interests to various organizations, including academic institutions, journals, and government agencies. This system is designed to introduce national data standards while also permitting organizations to customize the disclosure process to meet their specific information requirements. Its creation was informed by the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendation and consensus-driven data standards developed via MedBiquitous®, with input from a broad range of stakeholders.
The disclosure process through Convey involves several streamlined steps: creating an account, selecting a subscriber organization, reviewing and fulfilling organization-specific requirements, submitting relevant financial interests, and certifying the disclosure. Organizations subscribing to Convey benefit from tools to tailor and manage their disclosure requests, obtain relevant reports, and modify process parameters such as policy instructions and required fields. The document emphasizes that Convey is in the final stages of system testing, with early adoption by notable partners like the New England Journal of Medicine and Johns Hopkins, and invites further involvement from interested institutions. Through this standardized yet flexible approach, Convey aims to simplify and enhance the transparency of financial interest disclosure across the healthcare and research landscape.
