Keeping up with his busy letter-sending schedule last week, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to the WebMD Health Corporation CEO regarding an advertisement. Mr. Grassley’s concern comes over a television ad that “encourages viewers to take a depression screening test.” Since the advertisement is sponsored by EliLily, Senator Grassley is concerned about the independence between “WebMD and industry since many people access WebMD seeing it as an independent, objective medical resource.”
As a result, he requested that WebMD answer the following questions no later than March 4, 2010.
1) Copies of all communications regarding the creation of the WebMD depression screening test;
2) Copies of all contracts regarding the creation of the WebMD depression screening test; and
3) Any communications between WebMD and Eli Lilly and/or other pharmaceutical companies regarding the creation of the WebMD depression screening test.
4) Explain your policies on disclosure of outside income by your top executives, board of directors and physicians; and
5) Provide the disclosures of outside income filed with your organization by your top executives, board of directors and physicians January 2008 to the present.
Senator Grassley also requested “an accounting of industry funding that pharmaceutical, and medical device companies, foundations established by these companies, or the insurance industry have provided to WebMD Health Corporation, from January 2008 to the present. He asked that the data come in the form of a chart detailing annual amounts of industry funding, the (1) year; (2) name of company; (3) amount of funding; and (4) reason(s) that the funding was provided.
Although some believe that because EliLilly produces Cymbalta to treat depression, and there are ads on WebMD about the drug, a WebMD spokeswoman told “Dow Jones the company believes their internal process ensures their editorial independence in their programs.” Patients going onto WebMD are looking for answers, just like any patient going to a doctor. Seeing one ad or taking a test does not suggest this is the only treatment a patient will consider.
WebMD is a valuable resource to millions of patients, and providing information about common drugs and illnesses, and ways to treat them are an important way in improving health. While proper disclosure of funding and content is warranted, discouraging other drugs and treatments from the website would only harm patients, and give them less resources to keep them healthy, which will only crowd our waiting and emergency rooms more.