Industry links with patient organisations

Are patient organisations overly influenced by industry funding? Two recent articles give fresh currency to a perennial debate. The first is a survey of a sample of leaders of patient advocacy organisations (439 surveyed, representing 5.6% of 7865 identified US patient advocacy organisations). The authors found that although most of the 289 organisations that responded reported modest industry funding, a minority had substantial support, raising concerns about their independence. Survey respondents acknowledged a need to improve conflict of interest policies.1 A second study of 104 patient advocacy organisations found similar funding patterns and that only 12 had published policies for managing institutional conflicts of interest.2

Nobody disputes that funders of all types—regardless of whether they are from the public or private sector—can bias those in receipt of funding. There are well understood and researched risks for health professionals, researchers, and patient organisations alike. But to suggest on the basis of such surveys that patient groups are not sufficiently representing the interests of …