Engaging with Advocacy Groups on Healthcare Policy Patient advocacy groups and professional associations play an important role in shaping healthcare reform and often engage with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to ensure patient access to appropriate care.  However, for a successful partnership that “moves the needle,” companies need to understand which policy issues are important to groups and how groups prefer to work with industry on policy initiatives. The 2013 STAR Report provides insights into the policy activities and interests of patient advocacy groups and professional associations across 15 therapeutic areas.  Across some of the major components of healthcare reform, the data reveal that groups have the most interest and involvement in state exchanges and their essential health benefits (EHB) packages.  Additionally, advocacy groups feel the most appropriate roles for pharmaceutical and biotech companies to play in EHB package development are sharing state-specific information with the groups and supporting access to care. The report also reveals: Almost three-quarters of advocacy groups attended policy forums sponsored by industry in the past year, with most attending more than one. Policy forum topics of most interest to advocacy groups are quality of care, followed by the Patient-Centered Outcome Research Institute (PCORI) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER). Which pharmaceutical companies host the best policy forums? What topics are covered most frequently at industry-hosted policy forums? What elements make an industry-hosted policy forum successful? What are the biggest mistakes companies make when hosting policy forums? To get your copy of the full 2013 STAR Report, contact: Karen Ernst, MBA, Vice President The Brooks Group karen.ernst@brooksgroupinc.biz P: 610-888-9417 Anne Olshan, Senior Consultant Mark Krueger & Associates, Inc. aolshan@kruegerandassociates.com P: 212-620-2755 For more information about STAR and to download a free brochure, click here.