Response

The team of primary care authors that worked together to write the chest pain article1 was supported by consultation with a cardiologist and research associate, Dr Karlson, who now works for AstraZeneca.

Our literature search was thorough and complete. The article is properly referenced, and it took us 3 years from the time we started writing until the article was published. The evidence quoted in the article has been rated for its value, and we are satisfied that the conclusions are evidence-based and accurate. We are happy to discuss any concerns that readers might have about the content or conclusions contained in the article.

Dr Karlson’s employee relationship is clearly documented in the list of authors’ affiliations at the start of the article and was clearly written on the disclosure form sent to the journal before publication. The authors do not know why the publication did not also list Dr Karlson’s employee relationship in the competing interest section as it did in the authors’ section.

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