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Working Group on Patient Empowerment

EPF Working Group on Patient Empowerment

Patient empowerment was chosen as a priority area based on a survey with our membership conducted in 2012, further consultations with the EPF Policy Advisory Group, and in accordance with the goals and core values of our Strategic Plan 2014-2020, particularly Goal 4: Patient Empowerment.

The Working Group on empowerment will:

  • further refine EPF’s definition of patient empowerment, for example vis-a-vis “patient involvement” and develop practical and policy recommendations which EPF can use in its policy work;
  • develop a common understanding of patients’ rights and responsibilities;
  • explore what constitutes “patient-centred care” from the patient perspective;
  • explore what characteristics are needed from external actors and structures, including health professionals and healthcare systems and environments, to support patient empowerment.

The Working Group on empowerment has defined the following priorities in its work plan 2015:

  1. Contribution to EPF campaign & conference on patient empowerment;
  2. Propose an approach to measure patient empowerment;
  3. Start an analysis and discussion on patients’ rights and responsibilities.

Currently, the Working Group is made up of 12 members:

  • Philip Chircop, Malta Health Network (MHN);
  • Robert Johnstone, National Voices, UK;
  • Jean-Daniel Kahn, European Federation of Associations of Patients with Haemochromatosis (EFAPH);
  • Tunde Koltai, Association of European Coeliac Societies (AOECS);
  • Mateja Krzan, European Network of Fibromyalgia Associations (ENFA);
  • Guadalupe Morales, Spanish Patients' Forum;
  • Kalina Nedelcheva, Fertility Europe;
  • Irene Oldfather, Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland;
  • Georgia Orphanou, Pancyprian Federation of Patients Associations and Friends;
  • Isabel Proano, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA);
  • Mario Sel, International Federation for Spina Bifida (IF);
  • Klara Zalatnai, Hungarian Osteoporosis Patient Association (HOPA);
  • Momchil Baev, National Patients' Organisation of Bulgaria (NPO).

Contact: Kaisa Immonen, EPF Director of Policy.