Meet ISPEP Ambassador for North America, Robert Riggs

ISPEP has recently launched its Ambassador programme, focused on embedding regional representation of patient engagement professionals worldwide. Read on to get to know Robert Riggs, the ISPEP Ambassador for North America, a region where patient engagement has been practiced for several decades.

Image courtesy of Robert Riggs

Hospital beginnings

I can’t remember a time in my 30-year career when patient engagement wasn’t central to my work. My journey started in my late 20s as Director of Volunteer Services for a hospital system, where I managed a corps of volunteers across three campuses. Because this major metropolitan hospital system didn’t have a formal role to manage patient complaints, my role evolved to include working closely with patients and families to address their concerns.

Patient advocacy and engagement, as understood today, were not established concepts then, but my role involved amplifying patient voices and implementing initiatives to improve inpatient experiences and, by extension, patient outcomes. This early exposure sparked my passion for ensuring healthcare includes patient perspectives at every level.

Patient advocacy leadership

Image source: National Scleroderma Foundation

I later dedicated over two decades to leading a national patient advocacy organisation focused on scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease. As the organisation grew, so did my administrative duties, leaving less time to personally engage with patients and families. That was remedied when pharmaceutical companies began developing clinical trials inclusive of the scleroderma / systemic sclerosis population. My team and I launched the Patients as Partners programme, empowering individuals to meaningfully engage in patient advisory boards and clinical trials. Over several years, I had the enormous privilege of developing customised engagement initiatives for fifteen pharmaceutical and biotech companies. These experiences paved the way for my current role as Managing Director of a consultancy focused on amplifying patient voices in clinical trials and healthcare delivery.

Perspectives on the patient engagement landscape

As I reflect on the current patient engagement landscape, I see several significant challenges. Among them are shrinking budgets and industry pulling back from patient centricity in clinical trials, instead implementing rapid technological advancements that too often leave underserved populations behind while eroding trust due to insufficient relationship-building.

Addressing these and other issues requires dedicated professionals with the expertise and commitment to lead organisations in driving measurable, data-driven, patient-centred outcomes.

Why I became an ISPEP Ambassador

I joined ISPEP for its global perspective and its efforts to establish high standards and best practices in patient engagement. The chance to collaborate with diverse professionals worldwide offers a unique opportunity to strengthen patient-centric approaches across healthcare systems. As an ISPEP Ambassador for North America, my goals are to:

• Bridge gaps in patient engagement practices, foster collaboration, and work toward industry standards that amplify patient voices effectively.

  
  

• Engage professionals across North America, share insights, and develop solutions that benefit all stakeholders.

If you’re passionate about advancing patient engagement and collaboration, I encourage you to contact me and learn more about ISPEP. Together, we can champion equitable, patient-centred initiatives that create healthier communities. I look forward to hearing from you!

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You can connect with Robert on LinkedIn or via ambassadors@ispephub.org, including 'North America' in the subject line. To find out more about the ISPEP Ambassador program, contact programme lead Helena Binder via helena.binder@ispephub.org.