New handbook on academic medicine now available
The AAMC has published "The Handbook of Academic Medicine: How Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals Work." The handbook is a comprehensive reference source on the fundamentals of academic medicine. It includes explanations of what medical schools and teaching hospitals are, how they work and interrelate, and what prominent issues they face. This resource is recommended reading for academic leaders, board members, university officials, reporters and legislators. For more information, please visit http://www.aamc.org/publications.

Pediatric association issues code for research involving children
To help manage and eliminate conflicts of interest in medical research and to regain public trust, the Ambulatory Pediatric Association has developed a code of ethics for research in general pediatrics. The code is meant to ensure integrity in research that involves children, highlight important ethical issues in research, facilitate self-scrutiny and shape future debate. Funding for APA activities to enhance research integrity was supported through a cooperative agreement with the AAMC-Office of Research Integrity Responsible Conduct of Research Program. The code is published in a policy statement on the APA Web site at: http://www.ambpeds.org/site/research/research_ethics.htm. For further information, please visit http://www.aamc.org/programs/ori.

HHS releases report on medical innovation
In a Jan. 13 report, the Department of Health and Human Services released the recommendations of an intra-agency task force charged with exploring how best to streamline and improve the department's role in medical innovation. The task force's recommendations include developing new agreements for HHS to cooperate with other federal agencies; creating a forum for investigators and manufacturers to communicate with HHS agencies; standardizing electronic formats for clinical trial data; and inter-agency education and cross-training of department personnel. The report specifically calls for improved collaboration between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Food and Drug Administration. For more information, please visit
http://www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/washhigh/2005/012105/start.htm#3.