Health Care Advocates Convene in Singapore

The Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases Advocacy Summit, hosted by the Global Alliance for Patient Access, emphasized the importance of empowering patients to take an active role in managing their health conditions, particularly through shared decision-making with health care providers.

Advocates representing conditions like IBD, rheumatoid arthritis and skin diseases attended from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

Improving Patient-Centered Care

Key themes from the summit included the need for improved patient education and health literacy. Advocates stressed that providing clear, evidence-based information helps patients better understand their conditions and treatment options. This enables patients to collaborate more effectively with their doctors, leading to improved health outcomes and satisfaction.

Participants also discussed major challenges in the region, including:

• Limited time during doctor’s appointments
• Communication barriers
• Financial difficulties that limit access to care.

The summit highlighted the need for more multidisciplinary teams, telemedicine solutions and policies to reduce health care costs, making treatments more accessible.

Improving Care Across Asia

Looking ahead, attendees agreed on the critical role of advocacy in shaping health care policy and improving the quality of care for patients. By focusing on shared decision-making and patient empowerment, advocates aim to reduce the burden of these chronic diseases and create more patient-centered health care systems across Asia-Pacific.

Through events like this summit, GAfPA continues to drive progress in patient advocacy, ensuring that those affected by immune-mediated inflammatory diseases have a voice in their treatment and care.

Access the full report here.