Student Network Session - Fostering the Next Generation: Incorporating the Patient Voice Into Decision Making

Moderator

Dominique Seo, MPH, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States

Speakers

Eberechukwu Onukwugha, MSc, PhD, University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, United States; Emesomi S Obaze, MPH, National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, Dublin, Ireland; Elise Schoefs, MSc, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

In recent years, the inclusion of patient perspectives has become increasingly recognized as a critical component of decision-making. This session is designed for healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, and advocates who wish to understand how patient engagement can be systematically fostered across training, funding, and research.

The discussion will begin by examining the role of advocacy organizations in raising awareness and building capacity for patient engagement, with particular emphasis on empowering the next generation of patient advocates. It will then turn to the influence of structural requirements from funding bodies in guiding early-career researchers to prioritize patient perspectives in their proposals and projects. Finally, the session will share the experiences of trainees and graduate students working to embed patient voice into research, highlighting both the challenges they encounter and the opportunities in the future.

Participants will gain a comprehensive picture of the ecosystem that supports patient engagement, from advocacy and training to funding mechanisms and academic practice. The session will conclude with a discussion of actionable strategies to ensure that patient engagement becomes the standard for healthcare decision-making rather than an afterthought.

 

Code

031