How patient voices can shape the ERS Congress 2026 (webinar recording available)

On Tuesday 2 September, the European Lung Foundation (ELF) patient input team held a webinar with the European Respiratory Society (ERS) to support the inclusion of patient and carer perspectives at the ERS Congress 2026.

The 2026 ERS Congress theme has been announced: “United for better breathing: partnership between patients, clinicians and researchers,” emphasising 3 key goals:

• Co-creating care – empowering patients to be equal partners in decisions about their health
• Listening first – prioritising patient voices to uncover real-world challenges
• Discovering together – advancing research through collaboration across communities

Learn more on the ERS website.

The session gave ERS assemblies and session organisers the opportunity to understand how to include patient and carer perspectives in their sessions, and ensure the programme reflects the topics most important to people living with a lung disease. Although the main audience was ERS members, patient representatives were also welcome to join. This gave them an insight into how their voices will be included in shaping the Congress programme.

The event closed with an interactive Q&A, where participants shared questions and reflections about working together for a patient-centred Congress.

Watch the webinar

The recording of the event is now available.