We've returned from an exciting day in Washington, D.C. at the 2012 eAdvocacy Summit. We were very inspired by the many health advocacy and patient organizations we met there, all of whom are working hard to use digital tools to connect with their members and advocate for policies that will promote better health.

One of the biggest themes of the day was that personal stories are a compelling and effective way to demonstrate to legislators the big difference that state and federal policies have on the health of individuals. Personal stories make your advocacy efforts stronger, and make even dry legislation feel meaningful, said Rachna Chowdry of PopVox.

As Amy Porter of the National Osteoporosis Foundation said, the online community is a great place to have discussions about the issues that matter most to patients, caregivers, advocates, and many others. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube allow you to share your concerns with others, and to find partners who can help you work toward policy change. Seth Bannon of Amicus agreed: "If you can combine the scale of the web with the intimacy of personal messages, you will be effective and successful" in your advocacy efforts, he said.

We're certainly proud of the CMM online community and our efforts to increase access to medicines, encourage the development of innovative new cures and treatments, and ensure that medicines are both safe and effective. A big thanks to everyone who attended the eAdvocacy Summit in person or online. We hope to see you again next year!