Funding
The Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making does not accept funding from any source with a financial interest in a particular approach to medical testing or treatment. In addition, Foundation employees and clinical content experts do not accept support from companies that commercially market any kind of treatment or device that might be relevant to a program. All Foundation staff, board members, medical editors, and clinical advisors adhere to these high standards as illustrated in our required Conflict of Interest Policy.
Much of the Foundation’s funding is derived from a unique partnership with Health Dialog. Since 1997, Health Dialog has delivered patient support services to companies and health plans committed to helping their members or employees better understand their medical issues and become more engaged in managing their healthcare. Health Dialog supports millions of individuals facing a broad range of health care decisions, from deciding whether or not to bring a sick child to the emergency room to managing a chronic health problem to selecting a treatment option for a medical condition.
In collaboration with Health Dialog, the Foundation produces patient decision aids to support a shared decision making process. This partnership provides the Foundation with funding in the form of royalties used to fund research, support clinical demonstration sites, and advance the mission to amplify the patient’s voice in health care decisions.