Social Media and the Dissemination of Prepublication Data in Surgical Fields

Akhavan, Arya A.; Ndem, Idorenyin E.; Kalliainen, Loree K.

When prepublication data are accurate and striking, early dissemination can be highly valuable. If inaccurate, there may be social, medical, and legal consequences. In 1985, the French Ministry of Social Affairs held a press conference based on prepublication data, stating that cyclosporine immunosuppression was an effective treatment for AIDS. 1 This was widely distributed in the popular press, but final data did not ultimately support the conclusion, and patients were inappropriately treated with agents that hastened the disease. Legal issues also arose when ICN Pharmaceuticals, manufacturers of ribavirin, called a prepublication press conference to discuss findings that suggested ribavirin as a successful treatment for HIV. 1 This was followed by a significant jump in stock price. The FDA then published a statement contradicting the report. 19 A series of legal battles led to the company's dissolution in the early 2000s. 20 Given the potential for prepublication data to significantly impact clinical practice, it is valuable to know the degree to which conclusions change between initial analysis (ie, posters and prepublication data) and final publication. Recent lay news reports have described the failure of peer review to identify deliberately inserted mistakes and large-scale errors (ie, the retraction of the Wakefield vaccination articles). 21 Researchers have investigated whether or not peer review affects final conclusions from prepublication to completed article; writing quality improves, 22 but methodological flaws may go uncorrected. 23 It remains unclear if editorial peer review has a significant impact on end conclusions. 24 Given that the impact of peer review is uncertain, no strong conclusions can be drawn on whether or not prerelease and postpublication conclusions are consistently or significantly different.