The Geneva Health Forum (GHF) will hold its 8th Edition from November 16 - 18 2020. As one of the special guests, IAPO will be hosting a session on promoting expert patients as co-creators and disseminators: Prior, during and after the pandemic on 16 November 2020, 15:15 – 16:15 CET.

This session will aim to provide regional experiences of meaningful and effective engagement of expert patients as co-creators and disseminators of health policies, service delivery and follow-up, and to open a discussion channel on challenges and potential opportunities for structured approach in use of patients’ experience and expertise across the entire spectrum of healthcare.

The panel will include:

1.  Karen Alparce-Vilanueva, IAPO Board Secretary, UK and PAPO, Philippines
2. Prof. Thomas Agoritsas, Department of Internal Medicine, HUG
3. Bisi Bright, LiveWell Initiative LWI, Nigeria
4. Prim Dr Neda Milevska-Kostova, Board Vice-Chair, IAPO, UK 

Background   It is now clear that in order to achieve most SDG3 targets,thet patients play a key role. Underlying this achievement is universal access to and uptake of quality, affordable health services (SDG target 3.8), with the large majority delivered close to where people live and work (i.e. primary care). Most parts of the world have seen expansion in the access to health services and coverage of key interventions over the last two decades. There have also been notable improvements in financial protection.    Yet, in many countries, large coverage gaps remain, and the COVID-19 slowed down or halted these processes. The current pandemic is a test for health systems and the universal health coverage achievement. The key to dealing with today’s public health challenges and changing landscape is not to change strategic direction – but to transform the way health and social services are organized, funded and delivered.   For health access and coverage to be truly universal, it calls a shift from health systems designed around diseases and health institutions towards systems designed for people, with people. The people/patient-centred approach requires patient engagement at all stages of the process from the design to evaluation: from research to implementation, from health policy to service delivery, and from recipients to co-creators.   Modern patient advocates need motivation, knowledge, skills, attitudes and ability to engage in all these steps in order to be effective co-designers, co-producers and co-deliverers of patient centric health systems. Join us as we explore the following questions:

• Is there a panacea to patient engagement in health technology assessment?
•  What are current challenges for patient involvement across the continuum of care?
•  Are patients’ experiences and expertise sufficiently captured and used by academia, authorities and industry?
• How can we promote the role of expert patients as co-creators and disseminators?

Free tickets for IAPO Members and partners to attend the Geneva Health Forum 

We still have a few tickets left as an exclusive offer for IAPO Members and partners for the Geneva Health Forum.

Please contact dani@iapo.org.uk as soon as possible in case you would be interested in joining us at GHF.