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Patient organisations and healthcare professionals from 24 countries discuss digital health at our annual networking day

The talks and discussions at this year’s Patient Organisation Networking Day 2021 focused on digital health with over 100 participants including patient organisation representatives and healthcare professionals from 24 countries joining together virtually to share and learn from each other.

You can view all the presentation recordings from the day here, which included our three keynote speakers:

  1. Professor Anita Simonds sharing key learning from the ERS Presidential Summit on digital health.
  2. Mr Pascal Lardier from The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) focusing on how patient organisations can play an active role.
  3. Ms Valeria Ramiconi from The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) talking about the asthma and COPD patient’s digital journey.

Other featured talks came from these patient organisations: Jedra, the Croatian Association for Lung Cancer; CF Europe; Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research and PCD Support UK.  Professor Marc Humbert also joined us to talk about his future role as incoming ERS President.

Breakout discussions took place in online facilitated groups to explore the most important digital solutions for patients right now and the biggest challenges they face with future digital health technology.  Some of the key points raised included:

  • Future healthcare should be blended and include face-to-face and digital solutions.
  • Digital health education is needed to ensure no patients are left behind.
  • The voices of patients and patient organisations can help to forge a digital future that is beneficial to patients and meets their needs.
  • A key role for patient organisations is in helping to prepare and support patients for e-health interventions through education, information and partnership building.
  • Patient data sharing needs greater transparency around use, access and safety.

Feedback from the day


Feedback on the day included:

“The best thing was the opportunity to hear from so many different types of conditions and hear many of the common areas we all share – especially regarding Telehealth as well as opportunities for improved self-management of conditions due to technology”

“The diverse international speakers gave a very broad and interesting scope to the topic”