The Politico’s Spotlight: “Prevention and patient empowerment: who, when and how?” that took place at the European Parliament on the 20th November focused on how to improve patients’ empowerment on today’s context and the most effective measures for prevention.
Our Susanna Palkonen brought the patients perspective highlighting the importance of empowerment. She explained that doctors have no obligation to take care of prevention when a patient arrives at the point of care, and that is why patients should be active preventers themselves. However, “prevention can’t fall on the shoulders of single individuals”, as it is, together with empowerment, a “shared responsibility”, she said. The patient-healthcare professional relationship continues to be key, supported by new technologies.
Collaboration among governments, patient organizations, and industry to prevent chronic diseases arised also through the intervention of MEP Karim Kadenbach (Austria/S&D), Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. She agreed on the fact that patients empowerment is a shared responsibility, and “shared starts when there it is a political framework that makes it possible for people to be empowered”. Susanna added that a “key aspect of patients empowerment” is patients groups to be part of the political process.
Dr Rokas Navickas, Scientific coordinator of CHRODIS PLUS brought the issue of technologies to the table as an opportunity to empower patients to make healthier decisions and prevent chronic diseases.
Mary Harney, the Chair of the European Steering Group for Sustainable Healthcare also participated doing the introductory remarks.
The full discussion and pictures are available here: https://www.politico.eu/event/politico-spotlight-prevention-and-patient-empowerment-who-when-and-how/