EiR Patients Programme
The Excellence in Rheumatology Institute is proud to announce its first Rheumatology Patient-focused Programme which will take place during the Excellence in Rheumatology conference, Madrid, 25-28 January 2012.
Aims
The Patients Programme’s main objective is to stimulate exchange of information, experiences and ideas among nationally and internationally active patient representatives.
The Programme has been developed specifically by patients for patients, by representatives from the UK National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and Lupus Europe (to reflect the main thematic streams of EiR 2012), facilitated by rheumatology health professionals with specific interest in patients education and information. It comprises of two half days, including a generic part and two distinctive parts focusing respectively on issues related to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus.
Target audience
The Programme has been specifically devised for an audience of both patients and health professionals. This is to establish a useful dialogue and mutual learning for both groups, and to demonstrateboth the different perspectives and the common ground.
A limited number of professional participants already attending the EiR conference and expressing an interest in the topic(s) under discussionare welcome to attend, includingdoctors, specialist rheumatology nurses and other related health professionals. A balanced audience also includesactive patient volunteers working on local and/or regional level, for instance active in providing self management courses for fellow patients, giving presentations for health professionals or fellow patients (education), doing advocacy work (local committee work) or chairing a local or regional patient group.
Programme
The Programme includes plenary lectures, interactive workshops and specific topics such as:
- Patient information and patient education
- Doctor-patient communication
- New developments in the treatment of RA and SLE, including use and availability of biologics in different countries and products in the pipeline
- Guidance and guidelines for newly-diagnosed patients
- Patients’ expectations of rheumatology services: how can RA guidelines help patients to solve unmet needs?
Special interactive sessions will also give the chance to participants to exchange personal experiences, ideas and information about patient rights.
A number of bursaries for patients participation from outside Spain are available.
