Policy Briefing #1: Patient-Centred Healthcare

IAPO’s 2017 member engagement and empowerment plan will be centred on four main thematic areas: Patient-centred healthcare, Access, Accountability and Transparency, and the Patient Solidarity Day theme (to be decided by our members in the forthcoming months).

This policy document kicks off our policy briefing series for 2017. By relying on a simple structure, the policy briefings will be aimed at 

1. Setting the scene and explaining why a specific policy issue is important for patients in today’s healthcare systems;
2. Providing a definition based on the available policy and academic literature;
3. Placing emphasis on the practical implications that a policy issue has on IAPO members in terms of advocacy and policy development activities;
4. Highlighting the policy and legal landmarks on the issue;
5. Identifying shared challenges and future developments.

We decided to start with patient-centred healthcare, a principle that is at the core of the work and activities that IAPO develops at global level. This concept is not easy to define in that it involves, and is based on multiple dimensions related to health regulation, organisation, and delivery.

By relying on the IAPO Declaration on patient-centred healthcare, it will be shown that patients’ organisations can do a lot to support and advocate for the five principles to be implemented at all levels of healthcare.

We also stress the importance for patients to identify and explore opportunities to work in collaboration with key healthcare stakeholders. These collaborations can be crucial to ensure all stakeholders are aware that patient-centredness can generate benefits and value at societal level beyond healthcare. 

                                                                                                                            Read the policy briefing here.