On 11 and 12 February, the Patient Organisations Forum - the largest conference aimed at patient leaders representing patients in various therapeutic areas organised by the Institute for Patient Rights and Health Education - was held in Warsaw for the 13th time. This year's meeting started with an inaugural meeting with Minister of Health Lukasz Szumowski, who emphasised that on the occasion of World Sick Day, it is possible to talk about the dignity of the patient in illness. "The system can be changed and adapted, it will be more or less efficient. But without human relations, it will not be perceived or function as it should"-Lukasz Szumowski, Minister of Health.
The conference started with a debate on patient dignity and quality of healthcare. In addition to the Minister of Health, it was attended by Adam Niedzielski (President of the National Health Fund), Professor Paweł Łuków, University of Warsaw, Rev. Dr Arkadiusz Nowak (IPPEZ), Dr Jakub Gierczyński (Lazarski University), Ewa Borek (My Pacjenci Foundation). Next, the strategy of cooperation with the patient community was presented by Bartłomiej Chmielowiec (Ombudsman for Patients' Rights).
"Fixing the health service is a comprehensive effort. There are so many areas where action needs to be taken, so if the vectors go in different directions, it will be difficult to make progress. So it is necessary to have a system of values, a community of goals, so that the vectors of action of the different institutions work in the same direction." - Adam Niedzielski, President of the National Health Fund.
This was followed by the debate Dignity of the Patient in Chronic Disease during which the results of the IPPEZ report "Dignity in chronic illness' The meeting was chaired by sociologist and author of the study Dr Tomasz Sobierajski and attended by Prof Dorota Karkowska (IUS Medicinae Foundation, IPPEZ), Adrianna Sobol, psycho-oncologist (Onkocafe Foundation), Beata Stepanow (SED), as well as Helena Kladko (PTSR) and Anna Sarbak (UroConti). Later in the meeting, there were still sessions on innovation in which the latest innovations in medicine that will have an impact on the patient's life were presented, and Dr Jakub Gierczyński also presented the ida of sustainable development of healthcare systems.On the second day of the conference, participants attended further inspiring lectures and workshops. In the session Movement, diet and art therapy, they were able to hear about the role of physical exercise and music therapy in the prevention and support of chronic disease management, as well as learn how the home feeding model is run among patients in need of this type of support. In the second part of the day, two workshops were held by excellent trainers: Dr Mariusz Trojanowski (Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw), who conducted classes on interpersonal communication with elements of persuasion, and Dr Katarzyna Korpolewska on barriers to helping others.
