International Patients’ Union to launch path-breaking initiatives for transforming healthcare

This year, the focus is on ‘Leveraging Technology to Enhance Patient Engagement and Treatment Outcomes.’

The International Patients’ Union (IPU) announces its upcoming International Patients’ Union Conference on April 6, 2024, at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in New Delhi from 9.00 AM- 5.30 PM. This is the only conference in India dedicated to patients. The Delhi Medical Council has accorded six CME credit hours for doctors attending this conference and the Delhi Nursing Council has approved five CNE credit hours for this conference.

The International Patients’ Union, heralded as The Change Initiative was established with the mission of connecting patients to a tech-enabled platform by Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, who has been globally acclaimed for this work in healthcare transformation and is the former advisor to the Health Minister, Government of India.

Through this initiative, patients gain access to a network comprising doctors, policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, and fellow patients. By providing a platform for patients to voice their opinions, contribute to policy formulation, and exchange insights on disease management, the IPU aims to empower individuals in their healthcare journey.

In an era dominated by organised healthcare sectors, the IPU recognises the need to prioritise patient-driven healthcare system. While patient centricity remains pivotal, the IPU advocates for a paradigm shift towards a model where patients actively steer the direction of their healthcare experiences and expectations.

Ideated in 2014, IPU made significant strides with the launch of the Patients Union App on April 6, 2023, during the inaugural International Patients’ Union Conference. The first-ever Patients’ conference saw the participation of esteemed healthcare luminaries, including Dr. Pem Namgyal, Programme Director of WHO-SEARO (the representative of Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director General, World Health Organization); K.J. Alphons, IAS (Retired), Former Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Culture, and Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India; and Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Drugs Controller General of India, CDSCO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India; among others.

The upcoming International Patients’ Union Conference on April 6, 2024, will focus on educating and empowering patients to harness digital technologies in healthcare. By facilitating dialogue among healthcare stakeholders and providing a platform for patients to articulate their concerns and recommendations, the conference aims to foster a proactive, transparent, and outcome-driven healthcare system from a patient’s perspective.

Dignitaries expected to grace the conference include Dr. Thomas Zeltner, Chairman of the WHO Foundation; Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, Chairman, National Medical Commission; Dr. R.K. Srivastava, Former Chairman, Medical Council of India, & Former Director General of Health Services, Government of India; Dr. Arun Gupta, President, Delhi Medical Council; Dr. Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Healthcare Providers (India), among others.

The International Patients’ Union Conference offers an invaluable platform for patient voices, and this year, the focus is on ‘Leveraging Technology to Enhance Patient Engagement and Treatment Outcomes.’ For the first time in the history of Indian healthcare, we will be launching disruptive ideas that will play a pivotal role in transforming healthcare.

Key initiatives will be launched during this conference:

1. Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) – For the first time in India, the patients will get the power to rate doctors, hospitals, and government schemes. This is likely to make a drastic impact on the quality of care and lead to improving health outcomes.
2. TRx: Given the proliferation of technology in managing chronic patients, it was necessary to distinguish the conventional prescription (Rx) from prescriptions with DTx and other technology-enabled products and services advised to the patients. IPU has pioneered the TRx and will be launching it during the conference. This new-age prescription is keeping with the needs of the technology-enabled healthcare delivery and will lead to awareness and transparency for patients who are prescribed tech- products, and services and also enable clinicians to give the proper counseling on how to use digital health tools. The launch of TRx will also make a move towards Shared Decision-Making in medical practice.

As the first and only patient platform determined to shape the future of healthcare and make a tangible difference in the lives of people, the International Patients’ Union is all set to disrupt healthcare and make it patient-driven and outcome-driven.

For inquiries, please visit: www.patientsunion.org

Contact person:

Priya Shukla / Arushi Negi

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Phone: +91 9911100665