An ethical duty to present contentious data with care

Purpose Presenting data to the public is not a simple, unambiguous act. It is necessary to consider how you present it, in what context, and with what preparatory information. Thinking through such matters can determine whether many will grasp the importance of the data or whether they will misunderstand and therefore misuse the information. Methods A multidisciplinary team with expertise in epidemiology, ethics, and communications explored ethical issues and developed a communications plan for presenting data that show a positive association between vaccinations and asthma. By reviewing historical examples and consulting with experts in the media and public health, we identified ethical and communication hazards and developed strategies for their management. Results Potentially high levels of misclassification and response bias, unmeasured confounding, and restricted external validity limit interpretation of the new data. Excessive confidence in these preliminary results could encourage parents to refuse vaccinations and contribute to falling immunization rates and increased risk of disease for both vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Organized vaccine safety advocates and radical antivaccinationists use science selectively to highlight potential vaccine risks. Proactive contact with the popular press may help manage presentation of the data to the public. We developed a public message that stresses the limits of the data and recognizes valid parental and scientific concerns. Conclusion Although researchers cannot control how their data are used after their publication, anticipatory precautions can limit the potential for unintended harm.