The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2022 was held in Milan, Italy from September 7-10, 2022. This was GlobalSkin’s eighth Congress which a delegation of GlobalSkin Board Directors and senior staff attended.
After two years of virtual events, GlobalSkin’s objective during the in-person Congress was to reconnect with stakeholders including healthcare professionals and industry representatives, and bring attention to the work we and our Members undertake to improve the lives of patients living with dermatological diseases to event attendees.
This year’s Congress was an inflection point for GlobalSkin and our Members as many new connections were made and there were several new opportunities to bring the patient perspective to Congress delegates. Highlights include the fifth co-organized session with the EADV Patient Working Group, panel presentations during the EADV Advocacy Roundtable, GlobalSkin-Europe Member event, the Patient Advocacy Booth, GRIDD e-poster, and our “Skin Matters” Reception.
Joint Session - EADV Patient Working Group (PWG) and GlobalSkin
This year’s joint session was entitled “Shared Decision Making for Optimal Patient Care”; marking the fifth consecutive year for a co-organized session between GlobalSkin and the EADV PWG. Patient organizations were prominently featured in this multidisciplinary program highlighting the importance of inclusive relationships between doctors and patients and the best approaches to shared decision-making in treatment and care.
Jennifer Austin, GlobalSkin Chief Executive Officer opened the session and patient organization representatives Marc Yale, GlobalSkin Board President and International Pemphigus Pemphigoid Foundation (USA) and Marjolein van Kessel, Nevus Netwerk Nederland (Netherlands) presented their personal stories on this topic and emphasised the importance of effective communication, mutual respect, and the need for a supportive approach to dialogue between patients and doctors.
The Patient Perspective
The 2022 Congress demonstrated continued progress on the inclusion of the patient voice and patient organization perspective in its scientific programming.
Other notable sessions included: EADV Policy Roundtable ‘Addressing the Burden of Skin Disease in Europe through Policies and Partnerships’; Jennifer Austin, GlobalSkin CEO presented on the importance of the GRIDD research project and how it will demonstrate the impact and burden of skin diseases in Europe and globally.
This much-needed data will help to inform advocacy efforts in this region. Antoine Gliksohn, Global Albinism Alliance presented his personal perspectives as a person living with albinism and the important partnerships, his patient organization undertakes in forging relationships and advocating on behalf of all people living with albinism.
Scientific Sessions with Patient advocate speakers:
- Ethics in Dermatology: Patient Involvement in Care and Treatment, Speaker: Marc Yale, IPPF and GlobalSkin Board President
- Office Management: Patient Organizations as Supportive Partners to Clinicians, Speaker: Susanna Palkonen, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA)
- Pain Management in Patients with Skin Diseases: P for Pain or Perspective, Speaker: Toni Roberts, Debra South Africa
EADV Patient Task Force Roundtable
GlobalSkin and Patient Organization representatives at the EADV were invited to attend a roundtable session of the newly formed Task Force (which will replace the Patient Working Group). The Patient Task Force will allow for increased membership and more patient organization involvement in its activities. Attendees participated in an open and lively dialogue about how to increase the involvement of these key stakeholders in future EADV initiatives. Positive dialogue like this is helping to move patient organization inclusion forward at the EADV Congress.
Patient Advocacy Booth
The Patient Advocacy Booth was attended by 24 patient organizations this year, many of which were GlobalSkin Members. The Booth allows the opportunity to directly connect with doctors, healthcare providers and delegates and to demonstrate their support for dermatological patients in Europe and globally. The EADV Patient Working Group, with input from GlobalSkin, coordinated a shared booth this year which gave patient advocates the chance to be present at the booth but also to attend important scientific sessions during the Congress. By hosting our own booth, GlobalSkin brought awareness to the scope and reach of our global Membership. We look forward to working with the EADV and patient organizations to continue building this presence next year.
GlobalSkin-Europe Member Event – Pitching the Next Great Idea
This Member-only event brought together more than a dozen GlobalSkin patient organizations in an interactive session where members presented initiatives and projects being undertaken in their regions. After a hiatus of two years due to the pandemic, this event provided great connection and engagement amongst those who attended. We thank all Members for their contributions.
Visit our Flickr Albums to view photos from all events at the EADV including our Skin Matters Reception.
The reception is GlobalSkin’s opportunity to showcase our organization’s successes. We invited Member representatives, stakeholders, and delegates from the EADV Congress to informally learn about our initiatives including the Global Dermatology Coalition, the GRIDD project, and the important work GlobalSkin undertakes on a daily basis to improve the lives of patients living with dermatological conditions.
