A critical perspective on patient groups and industry funding

Patient groups are non-profit organizations that focus on the needs of people affected by a specific disease. Over the years, patient groups have assumed an increas-ingly decisive role in the healthcare decision-making process, and may influence the governments’ decisions on key cru-cial health matters. Financial support for patient groups can come from different sources, including the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Although patient groups may certainly benefit from drug companies economic support, in this commentary we address concerns regarding the pres-ence of potential conflict of interests (COIs), which may affect the independence, objectivity, integrity and reputation of the organizations.