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Articles and Podcasts
We regularly post informative material to help spread the word about the importance of patient engagement.
Use the filter on the right of the page to explore specific categories, which are defined as follows:
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PEP Talks Podcast – interviews with patient engagement professionals
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Member Exclusives – content available to paid Hub members only
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Community Voices – articles kindly provided by ISPEPers around the world
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ISPEP Announcements – key news from the society team
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ISPEP Voice – hear our team's perspectives on patient engagement topics
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Event Highlights – summaries of conferences, summits etc.
Once you've chosen a category, make sure to scroll past our featured posts to see a list of all posts in your category of choice.
Thank you to all the ISPEPers who have kindly submitted articles or been interviewed for our podcast!
Categories
Featured (Top Posts)
Culturally Competent Patient Engagement: From Theory to Practice
This blog post explores frameworks for equitable involvement, highlights successful initiatives, and outlines actionable steps for patient engagement professionals to help close the gaps opened by homogenous engagement.
Nadia Malliou
7 days ago5 min read
Hot off the press! The participation equation: Understanding what drives participant engagement in clinical trials
We are excited to share our new report, produced in collaboration with Cuttsy and Cuttsy. Reflecting the voices of over 700 recent clinical trial participants, alongside in-depth interviews and input from leading sponsors, these findings shed light on both the challenges and opportunities in today’s complex clinical trial landscape.
ISPEP
Oct 16, 20251 min read
Change Champions — Carrying the Change Together
As we mark International Patient Engagement Day 2025, I feel both proud and deeply inspired to reflect on the extraordinary journey of our community at the International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals (ISPEP). This year’s theme, “Carry the Change”, perfectly captures the spirit of our global network. Around the world, patient engagement professionals are not only driving transformation within their own organisations and communities, they are carrying that change
Emma Sutcliffe
Oct 15, 20253 min read
ISPEP publish PEP Talks Words of Wisdom — free to download now on the ISPEP Hub
In honour of International Patient Engagement Day 2025, we’re proud to release a special resource for our community: the PEP Talks Words of Wisdom e-book, showcasing highlights from our popular podcast.
ISPEP
Oct 14, 20251 min read
Closing the Engagement Gap: From Rhetoric to Meaningful Patient Partnership
This article critically examines the engagement gap – the gulf between intentions and implementation – and offers strategies to better align patient engagement rhetoric with real-world practice across healthcare systems, policy, and industry.
Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Aug 14, 20256 min read
All Posts
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Culturally Competent Patient Engagement: From Theory to Practice
This blog post explores frameworks for equitable involvement, highlights successful initiatives, and outlines actionable steps for patient engagement professionals to help close the gaps opened by homogenous engagement.
Nadia Malliou
7 days ago5 min read
Why Patients Must Be in the Driver’s Seat
All companies must partner with patients over the long-term and work towards shared goals; lasting commitment that builds trust, drives ambition and success for all. This means investing in patient engagement expertise, prioritising budgets and demonstrating value. Yes, value means profits for pharma, but more importantly, it means improvements in outcomes that matter to patients. That’s the real win.
Michelle Warner
Oct 15, 20253 min read
Percipient perspectives from a patient advocate on International Patient Engagement Day
Trishna Bharadia is a multi-award winning patient engagement professional living with multiple sclerosis who has worked with over 100 organisations covering academia, industry (pharma, CROs, health tech and others), patient groups and charities, industry associations and clinicians. Where it all began When I started out in the patient engagement space over 15 years ago, as an advocate who didn’t know she was an advocate yet, patient centricity wasn’t even a buzzword. Whether
Trishna Bharadia
Oct 15, 20254 min read
PxP Africa: A Perspective from our ISPEP Ambassador for Africa, Sarah Katulle
The diversity of representation at PxP was striking. I deeply appreciated the effort to bring in voices from more communities and continents, ensuring that local realities are reflected in global dialogue.
Sarah Katulle
Sep 19, 20253 min read
Patient Engagement Pain Points: A Coaching Circle Conversation
Coaching circles are structured, peer-led group discussions that foster open dialogue, active listening, and collaborative problem-solving in a safe and supportive environment (Alexander, 2016). Recently, RareQoL CEO and ISPEP PO Bursary Recipient Dr Sondra Butterworth co-facilitated a coaching circle with fellow ISPEPer Naomi Litchfield, Director of Patient Advocacy at Bionical Emas. The discussions focused on the 'pain points’ in patient engagement and ended with suggested
Dr Sondra Butterworth
Sep 10, 20251 min read
Closing the Engagement Gap: From Rhetoric to Meaningful Patient Partnership
This article critically examines the engagement gap – the gulf between intentions and implementation – and offers strategies to better align patient engagement rhetoric with real-world practice across healthcare systems, policy, and industry.
Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Aug 14, 20256 min read
A call to action for patient engagement professionals
Hear from ISPEPer Monica Kleijn Evason on what we as a community need to do next... Share your thoughts in the comments – we would love to hear what you think.
ISPEP
Aug 11, 20251 min read
Five pillars of patient engagement in low-resource settings: success stories from thyroid advocacy in Kenya
To provide insight into successful patient advocacy in regions where it is relatively new and inspire replication in similar contexts, this article presents an outline of TDAK’s holistic, grassroots-to-global model, which is structured around five core pillars: awareness, education, empowerment, support systems, and community partnerships.
Sarah Katulle
Jun 19, 20256 min read
Meet ISPEP Ambassador for North America, Robert Riggs
Get to know the ISPEP Ambassador for North America, a region where patient engagement has been practiced for several decades.
Robert Riggs
May 1, 20252 min read
From Data to Impact: Strengthening Patient–Industry Collaboration Through Evidence-Based Advocacy
This article explores how Evidence-Based Advocacy can deliver meaningful, patient-focused impact.
Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Apr 14, 20257 min read
An African Perspective on Patient Engagement
In Africa, limited disease awareness and lack of active patient involvement in care remain significant obstacles, unlike in the West.
Sarah Katulle
Mar 11, 20255 min read
"From Stage to Shared Decision-Making”: a theatrical journey to Patient Empowerment
Background From performing on New York City's theatrical stages to navigating the hospital setting as an actor portraying patients for medical programs, my passion has always centred on the audience's experience. Whether its theatergoers, medical students honing their communication skills, or patients seeking to have their voices heard, my goal has remained the same: to foster understanding that not only transports, but transforms.
Kim Nielsen
Feb 18, 20253 min read
ISMPP European Meeting 2025: Patient Involvement Round-Up from ISPEP Member Trishna Bharadia
Advocate and ISPEPper Trishna Bharadia stepping up for patients at ISMPP Europe 2025 There was a strong presence of ISPEPers at the...
Trishna Bharadia
Feb 17, 20252 min read
Patient authorship of clinical evidence: now and next
Introduction Evidence relating to patients has always been at the heart of drug development; after all, every product to reach the market – even those which don’t – has relied on clinical trial data showing evidence of its safety and efficacy in patients. The whole industry is thus dependent on patients – and yet, they have historically been excluded from publication of the very evidence that wouldn’t exist without them. Wouldn’t you want a say in how data about you is commun
Jon Hoggard
Nov 1, 20246 min read
An Introduction to Patient Preference Research
Introduction Patient preferences refer to the specific desires and priorities that patients have regarding their healthcare. These preferences, which may relate to aspects such as the type of treatment (e.g., oral medication vs. injection), the side effects they are willing to tolerate, and the frequency of medical visits, can significantly enhance drug development and ultimately influence decisions about treatment options, care plans, and overall healthcare experiences. Inco
Marco Boeri
Nov 1, 20245 min read
The Evolution of Patient Power
Introduction I was 25 when I was diagnosed with a debilitating rare disease called neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). As a...
Clarinda Cerejo
Oct 29, 20246 min read
What are the benefits of patient engagement for society?
Over the last half century, patients have gained increased autonomy as medicine has moved from a paternalistic model to one which is more...
Anna Saggerson
Oct 24, 20244 min read
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