EPF leads the work of COMPAR-EU on eliciting patients’ priorities and preferences. In this role, EPF ensures that patient’s views, experience, gender, and socio-economic dimensions are accounted for and also guarantees meaningful patient involvement across various project outputs, tasks and activities. EPF is closely working together with all COMPAR-EU partners in order to embed and promote what matters to patients the most. To inform this work, EPF has set up a dedicated Patient Panel back in 2019. Since then, the Patient Panel regularly meets and through its work advises with first-hand experience and expertise on various project outputs. Furthermore, EPF representatives are part of the COMPAR-EU IT Platform Task Force and in constant coordination with other project partners in order to bring the patient perspective. Finally, in order to make the results of the project more accessible to non-expert audiences, EPF produces lay language summaries of key project documents and these will be translated in various European languages towards mid-2022.
Activities, Achievements and Ambitions of the Patient Panel in 2021
This year so far, members of the COMPAR-EU Patient Panel, together with EPF representatives, joined forces and focused their efforts on four key aspects related to patient involvement, co-design and patient engagement:
- Four webinars – regular online meetings where members of the Patient Panel provide their input onto project’s activities
- COMPAR-EU IT Platform Task Force – two members of the Patient Panel became a vital part of the Task Force dedicated to the development, design, implementation and of the Platform
- Work on various project outputs and their translation into lay language continued
- Kicked-off the process of translating the lay summaries into 8 European languages
A Quote from the Members of the Patient Panel
Where to now – what is ahead for the Patient Panel in 2021?
Looking ahead, EPF is planning a range of activities focused on involving and empowering patients in 2021. EPF will continue to hold its monthly webinars with the Patient Panel to validate project materials and consult on planned activities. As with previous years, EPF will continue to adapt key project materials into lay language, but this year EPF will be coordinating the translation of these lay materials into the working languages of the project. Together with the Patient Panel, we will be producing one-page infographics and short white board videos to support the dissemination and communication of these materials. Lastly, as part of its work to ensure accessibility and sustainability, EPF will continue to contribute to the COMPAR-EU IT Platform testing, validation and review. In June, during the first Patient Panel Workshop for 2021, there will be a dedicated session to discuss a key output of the project – the Decision Aid Tool. During the session, survey results (done earlier in June) will be presented, followed by conducting semi-structured interviews with some members of the Patient Panel.
Stay tuned for more news in the fall of 2021.
Lyudmil Ninov
Lyudmil is EPF´s Senior Programme Officer. He oversees project development, planning and costs monitoring for the following EPF projects: COMPAR-EU, H2O, DigitalHealthEurope and PERMIT. Prior to joining EPF, Lyudmil Ninov has spent most of his professional time working in the health care sector for the International Diabetes Federation’s head office in Brussels, managing various diabetes-related international projects.