EUPATI: second Expert Training Course and local activities

Our EUPATI project, the European Patient Academy on Therapeutic Innovation, got off to a good start in 2015. On 19 January we launched the second cycle of the EUPATI Patient Expert Training Course. The Academy also starts to expand locally with new national liaison teams created and a major event in sight on 22 April in Dublin, Ireland. Save the dates!

EUPATIwas launched in 2012 to support patients interested in being more educated and involved in medicines’ research and development processes (R&D). The Expert Patient Course, EUPATI’s flagship training programme, has been specifically designed for patients and patient advocates who have the skill-set to acquire and apply expert-level knowledge across the whole spectrum of the medicines R&D process.  This 14-month Course is a blend of independent e-learning coursework and face-to-face training events.

The application deadline for the second round starting in September 2015 is 31 March 2015. In total, 60 patients will be selected for this course by an independent selection panel. To find out more about the Course or the application process, please consult this link.

A student from the first round said: “The ability to study online at your convenience, while having a diverse team of experts at your fingertips to answer your questions and provide extra information is pretty unique. Is it a lot of work? Well, quite honestly that depends a lot on your personal background, experience, etc. Maybe the best part is you can put your newly acquired knowledge into practice in a heartbeat. It's worth every step!”

EUPATI expands locally

EUPATI National Liaison Teams (NLTs) and EUPATI National Platforms (ENPs) lie at the heart of the creation of the EUPATI pan-European network. In 2015, the Academy is moving towards developing the network across the 12 countries participating in the project.

ENPs were established in UK (March 2014), in Ireland (September 2014), in Spain (November 2014), and events were held to promote National Platform formation in German-speaking region of Switzerland (11 December) and Luxembourg (17 December).

A Dublin 2015 Workshop will be organised in April 2015. The title “EUPATI taking off in your country – an interactive workshop” is self-explanatory as the meeting will pave the way towards implementing the project in further countries.

Contact: EPF Programme Manager, Walter Atzori (walter.atzori@eu-patient.eu).