On 21st of January the European Commission's Scientific Panel for Health (SPH) presented its initial findings for future health research at the European Parliament to a wide range of stakeholders.
The European Commission’s SPH is a unique group of experts from across Europe that advises the European Commission on long-term challenges and bottlenecks in the health research domain, and on the potential solutions to them. Susanna Palkonen, EFA’s Director, is a member of the SPH and represents the patients’ perspective in the panel.
During the first of year of activity, the SPH prepared a Vision Paper summarizing the global challenges, opportunities and recommendations for future health research, and in particular underlining the need for value-based, people-centred and science-led research policy.
The event served to present the Vision Paper and to discuss other relevant topics, such as cross border research and the need for more collaboration in Europe, the regulatory framework as a facilitating environment for innovation, the biomedical research policy.
Among the speakers, Anders Olauson, President of the European Patient Forum, presented on the patient expectations for and participation in research, highlighting the need for a full patient involvement in the research cycle.
The results of the conference should feed into key messages and recommendations within the Vision Paper.
To know more about the European Commission Scientific Panel for Health, please visit the Commission's website.