Potential scientific misconduct in a Daily Hemodialysis study
published in New England Journal of Medicine

End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) has many psychological and psychosocial implications which BRAIN MIND & LIFE’s experts dedicated many workshops, debates and Journal clubs, chiefly focusing their attention on psychological problems of chronic hemodialysis patients. Daily hemodialysis is particularly relevant for the patient’s life-style and regimen management, representing a study-model for other chronic therapies.

Schiffl, Lang and Fischer published in 2002 a study on daily hemodialysis, now accused of scientific misconduct by Klaus Peter, Dean of the Medical Faculty at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. The article denouncing Schiffl and his colleagues unfair procedure is just published online (May 22, 2003) by the New England Journal of Medicine (Expression of Concern: Schiffl H., et al. Daily Hemodialysis and the Outcome of Acute Renal Failure. New Engl. J. Med. 2002; 346:305-10. Jeffrey M. Drazen, M.D., Julie R. Ingelfinger, M.D., and Gregory D. Curfman, M.D. 348:2137, Number 21, May 22, 2003).

There is an ongoing investigation into the potential fraud in the performance of this study, we will inform BRAIN MIND & LIFE’s members and website visitors of the outcome of this investigation when it is complete.

BM&L-May2003