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 forward, ensuring it endures and grows.

As ISPEP’s Chief Patient Officer, I have the privilege of witnessing this movement up close. It is built on dedication, skill, and a shared belief that meaningful patient engagement is not a trend – it is a professional discipline and a catalyst for lasting change.

Building a Global Community of Change Champions

ISPEP was founded with a clear mission: to support and connect professionals advancing the science, practice, and impact of patient engagement. In 2025, we have made powerful strides toward realising that mission.

Our community has grown to more than 2,000 professionals across 60 countries, representing patient organisations, solution providers, and industry. This growth reflects a shared commitment to professionalising patient engagement and embedding patient perspectives systematically across healthcare and drug development.

ISPEP members have connected across borders to share expertise, solve practical challenges, and shape the future of our field. Our collective drive to turn inspiration into action and action into impact forms the backbone of our community. So many of our members have emerged as change champions, leading efforts to embed engagement in ways that are contextually relevant, sustainable, and meaningful.

Carrying the Change Through Professional Development

Professional growth is a cornerstone of ISPEP’s work. This year, our online Hub expanded significantly, offering new case studies, masterclasses, and expert insights, supporting patient engagement professionals to broaden and deepen their expertise and confidently carry change into their organisations and communities.

This year we also proudly launched the PO Bursary programme, designed to support patient organisation representatives – especially those from underrepresented communities – in gaining access to ISPEP platforms and amplifying their voices via free Hub membership and dedicated publication opportunities. These bursary recipients are among our most inspiring change champions – bringing new energy, diverse perspectives, and subject matter expertise into the ISPEP community and helping to ensure that change is inclusive and globally representative. On a similar note, we are continuing to evolve our international Ambassador programme, which formally embeds regional representation of and support for PEPs across the globe.

Looking Ahead: Sustaining the Momentum

While we celebrate these achievements, we are also looking ahead. Over the next year, we plan to develop formal training/certification programmes and continue generating new insights and evidence, just like we have done for reimagining patient recruitment in clinical trials (report coming soon!). We will also be building on the strong global connections made through our Ambassador programme to advance regional operations and exploring possibilities for connecting ISPEPers through peer mentorship and networking opportunities.

These priorities reflect our commitment to building a sustainable professional ecosystem, where change is not dependent on individuals alone but carried collectively by a thriving, connected, and well-equipped community.

Carrying the Change Forward

On International Patient Engagement Day 2025, I want to express my deepest gratitude to every ISPEP member. You are change champions, advancing the professionalisation of an entire field. Your work is creating the structures, standards, and networks that will sustain meaningful patient partnerships for generations to come. And most importantly, you are carrying the change forward – from inspiration to action, from action to impact.

I also want to thank our partners and collaborators for walking alongside us. Together, we are laying the foundation for a future in which patient engagement professionals are recognised as essential contributors to better health systems and better outcomes.

This is our moment. Let us celebrate how far we have come, and carry the change with renewed purpose and collective strength.

Happy International Patient Engagement Day 2025.

Emma Sutcliffe

Chief Patient Officer, ISPEP