Patient Empowerment Campaign
“Patients with chronic conditions are often referred to as the most under-used resource in the health system while patient-centred care models have demonstrated better quality of care as well as potential long-term cost-efficiencies. Too many patients are still struggling to get the support they need to become equal partners in care. To make real progress, we need to make patient empowerment a priority, starting with the development of an EU-wide strategy and action plan” EPF Honorary President, Anders Olauson
EPF officially launched a major one-year campaign on Patient Empowerment on 20-21 May 2015. We will work in concert with the health community to promote understanding of what patient empowerment means from the patient perspective among political decision-makers and health stakeholders. As part of the campaign deliverables, we will release a Charter of Patient Empowerment and a multi-stakeholder Roadmap for Action in November 2015.
What is Patient Empowerment?
Patient empowerment is a process that helps people gain control over their own lives and increases their capacity to act on issues that they themselves define as important.”
Aspects of empowerment include:
- self-efficacy
- self-awareness
- confidence
- coping skills
- health literacy
Read more in the EPF background brief on patient empowerment here.
Why a campaign on Patient Empowerment?
“Patients prescribe E5 for sustainable health systems” is the tagline of the EPF campaign to demonstrate that patients are active people who can, if supported and according to their individual capabilities and situation, make a difference for the sustainability of healthcare systems.
The five “E” of Empowerment stand for:
- Education: patients can make informed decisions about their health if they are able to access all the relevant information, in an easily understandable format.
- Expertise: patientsself-manage their condition every day so they have a unique expertise on healthcare which needs to be supported.
- Equality: patients need support to become equal partners with health professionals in the management of their condition.
- Experience: individual patients work with patient organisations to represent them, and channel their experience and collective voice.
- Engagement: patients need to be involved in designing more effective healthcare for all, and in research to deliver new and better treatments and services
Watch the Patient Empowerment Campaign official video!
Get engaged
Find how you can engage in the campaign here!
Follow the campaign on twitter: #PatientsprescribE