Background

On Saturday 2nd December 2017, patient advocates and stakeholders from all seven world regions stood together, united in a celebration of Patient Solidarity Day. This was an opportunity to raise awareness of the significant need for, and benefit of, empowered and informed patients. 

What is patient empowerment?

An empowered patient is a patient that does not look at him/herself only as a user of health services. Rather, empowered patients are recognised as partners within their health environment. Recognising patients as partners involves creating real opportunities to contribute the unique knowledge that one develops by being a patient. There have been various interpretations of the term ‘patient empowerment’, with different views on what defines it and how it manifests itself.

Policy briefing 2017

1. To be able to play an active role in their healthcare management, patients must realise and utilise their unique knowledge of their condition
2. To empower themselves, good understanding of engagement opportunities is key, e.g. patient involvement in research
3. What constitutes patient empowerment varies depending on world region

Read the policy briefing here.

Related Information

• Policy Briefing #1: Patient-Centered Healthcare

• Policy Briefing #2: Patient Information and Health Literacy

• Policy Briefing #3: High quality access to care

• Policy Briefing #4: Patient Involvement in HTA

• ​Policy Briefing #5: Patient Safety 

• Policy Briefing #6: Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation

• Policy Briefing #7 - Pain Management​

• IAPO's 2017 Member Engagement and Empowerment Plan​​