The 9th Patient Empowerment Congress is behind us

Opening the Congress, Bartlomiej Chmielowiec, Patient Ombudsman, stressed that all participants were united by a common goal - concern for patients and their safety.

Congress organizers, the Institute for Health Communication, pointed out that Patient Empowerment is not just a buzzword, but a force for change in the health care system! It's an idea that gives patients a real say in the treatment process, empowers them and builds partnerships with doctors and institutions.

Patients' rights on the EU agenda

Bartlomiej Chmielowiec said that under the Polish presidency the issue of patient rights has been brought to the EU agenda. - We are pushing for the European Charter of Patients' Rights, prepared by patients' organizations, to be adopted by EU bodies. This would standardize the basic concepts and rights of the patient within the Union, he pointed out. He added that discussions are also underway on the establishment of a European network dealing with patient rights, especially in the context of cross-border care.

He recalled that his office is involved in the so-called lex impostor. - That is, the attempt to reign in the reigning evil offering fraudulent treatments to the sick, even by celebrities from the front pages of newspapers, he said.

He added that together with the Quality Monitoring Center, he is working on the "Demand Quality" project, which has already awarded 25 hospitals based on very strict criteria. - This is a hint to all patients that if they have the opportunity to choose, they should go to those facilities that put quality and patient safety first, he pointed out.

Bartholomew Chmielowiec said that so far 21 million zlotys have been paid to patients under the Compensation Fund. - We are discussing with the Health Ministry the merger of three Funds: Compensation, Medical Events, Immunization and Clinical Trials while increasing the scope of their activities, he said.

He thanked patient organizations for their support in activities. He wished them a sense of empowerment. - Many things have succeeded precisely because they are signaled by patient organizations and because they take an active part in the work of making changes, such as the law on rare diseases, he pointed out.

Marek Kos, Deputy Minister of Health, assured that patient organizations are very important in the Polish health care system, and the slogans guiding this congress are already being realized-mutual trust, the ability to communicate, and a proficiency that is increasing. - Even in difficult reimbursement talks we manage to agree," he added.

During the opening of the Congress, Marek Augustyn, president of the National Health Service, quoting St. Thomas Aquinas, said that a person should be the goal and not a tool of action, even if it would serve lofty endeavors. Therefore, in his opinion, patient welfare is extremely important in the health care system.

He pointed to the role of prevention offered by the system, which protects us from becoming patients.

Awarded by patients

During the Congress, the Patient Empowerment awards were presented for the first time.

Ewa Godlewska, president of the Foundation for the Treatment of Obesity FLO presented an award to Mark Augustyn, president of the National Health Fund, for the creation and implementation of prevention programs.

The award from the hands of Stanislaw Maćkowiak, president of the Federation of Polish Patients and the National Forum for Rare Disease Therapy ORPHAN was given to Bartlomiej Chmielowiec, Patient Ombudsman, for making the government a real support and guarantor of the realization of patients' rights.

Lukasz Rokicki, president of the Wieslawa Adamiec Carita Żyć ze Szpiczakiem Foundation, honored Prof. Ewa Lech- Marańda, national consultant in hematology and director of the Institute of Hematology and Transfusiology in Warsaw, for developing comprehensive solutions in hematooncology, which translates into concrete changes in patient care. Thanking for the award, Prof. Ewa Lech Marańda stressed that honoring patients is the culmination of all the efforts of doctors, and that only dialogue and cooperation between all stakeholders lead to success.

Dr. Beata Małecka- Libera, chairwoman of the Senate Health Committee, was recognized for her determination to make public health efforts take on real importance and for bringing health topics to the forefront of decision makers of all political options. The award was presented to her by Anna Kupiecka, president of the OnkoCafe Foundation - Together Better.

Dr. Beata Malecka- Libera stressed that her challenge is to transform public health into well-being. She added that it is very important for all patient organizations to join the health education system.

Boguslawa Wolosz, president of the Institute for Health Communication- presented the award to Magdalena Kolodziej, president of the WE Patients Foundation, vice chairman of the Patients' Council to the Minister of Health, for her constructive dialogue with decision-makers.

Przemysław Marszałek, vice president of MATIO Foundation for Helping Families and Patients with Cystic Fibrosis honored Mateusz Oczkowski, deputy director of the Department of Drug Policy and Pharmacy at the Ministry of Health for recognizing the needs of patients and not slowing down in reimbursement processes, as well as for his openness to innovation, dialogue, cooperation and quick response to the needs of patients.

Receiving the award, Matthew Oczkowski pointed out that his entire department is committed to listening to patients' needs. And because of this, he has achieved a 96% success rate when it comes to new technologies. - This means that reimbursement has not stood still," he said.

Patient the power of change

Iwona Czabak, president of Marfan Poland, stressed that patients are the force of change. She presented the fate of a young patient who was the first, thanks to the determination of his parents, to have simultaneous surgery for an aortic aneurysm and removal of a thoracic stenosis, which has become standard today.

Katarzyna Glowinska, Public Advocate for People with Obesity, spoke of the strength and courage of patients who insisted on the necessity of treating their disease and not stigmatizing them.

Lucyna Jaworska-Wojtas, president of the Overcome Endometriosis Foundation, talked about the Foundation's activities, which led to the Ministry of Health's announcement of the establishment of a network of expert centers - centers for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis, where the first patients are expected to be admitted as early as July this year.

Dominik Kuc, GrowSPACE Foundation, stressed that trust, understanding and empowerment should resonate among young patients. He pointed to the huge role of health education, which has finally made its way into schools.

Anna Kupiecka, president of OnkoCafe, pointed to successes in women's health: funding in vitro fertilization, expanding HPV vaccinations, making changes to testing for early detection of cervical cancer, and treating breast cancer. She also spoke about the needs of neglecting endometrial cancer and advanced breast cancer.

Malina Wieczorek, president of SM Walcz o Siebie talked about the neuroprotective effects of art on the brain.

Problems of the system - the problem of patients

During a panel titled "Equalizing Opportunities, Drug Safety, Quality of Life. A new health strategy for Poland and Europe," Deputy Health Minister Marek Kos spoke about the priorities of the Polish presidency, including drug safety. He recalled that work is underway in the EU on the Critical Medicines Act and pharmaceutical law reform, which are aimed at ensuring that all Europeans have access to pharmacotherapy, without which modern medicine does not exist.

The Congress also discussed health education, prevention, oncology patient rights and the European Cancer Code. Systemic challenges were identified that can improve the efficiency of the system. Topics of discussion also included causality in the fight against civilization diseases, rare diseases, local initiatives that change the approach to prevention and treatment.