Credit for truly novel ideas? a critical approach to the intellectual authorship in surgery

Abstract

The formation of new ideas and techniques in medicine and surgery is crucial to bettering the medical field and the quality of medical care. The transmission of these new ideas is a source of pride and recognition for physicians who devote their lives to patient care. The quality and integrity of the medical literature that results from seminal medical ideas are an essential but unregulated field. From time to time, there are discussions in the medical literature about the authorship of an idea/strategy/technique. In this digital era, where communication works at an unmeasurable speed, the authenticity of medical communication requires honesty and verification. The possibility of unreliable or false information exists, and the need to verify “new” information as accurate and honest is crucial. Rhythm, genuine, and fake (fair/unfair) information circulates at high speed, and suddenly everything one encounters is represented as “true and often represented as new.” Regarding medical science and particularly surgery - we are overloaded daily with new techniques, new names, new strategies, and everything. Several questions regarding the authenticity of any publication or scientific communication exist. A critical approach is done in this article.