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Monthly Newsletter edited by Cittadinanzattiva-Active Citizenship Network
Civic Activism | Patients' Rights | Consumers' Rights | Support ACN


Year 4th, number 36 - February 2016
Highlight

European Patients' Rights Day 2016: the celebration of the 10th Anniversary
Active Citizenship Network has decided to devote the 10th edition of the European Patients’ Rights Day to the issue of “Reducing waste and inefficiency in the Healthcare Systems, increasing quality of patient care”. The European multi­-stakeholder conference will be held on the 4th of May 2016 at the European Parliament in Brussels with the aims to increase the culture of common goods and the fight of each form of waste, fostering the cooperation among different stakeholders - either public or private, civic and institutional - to find useful solutions. Read more and join the conference!

Focus

European patients' rights day 2016: Collection of Good practices against waste and inefficiency in healthcare
Active Citizenship Network will conduct a research in order to gather good practices against waste and inefficiency in healthcare from a wide range of EU countries (caused, for example, by: unnecessary services; excessive administrative costs; inefficiently delivered services; prices set too high; fraud; missed prevention opportunities etc..).
The collection will be enriched by key-person interviews used as supporting documents in the report on the collection of good practices that will be presented in Brussels in occasion of the celebration of the 10th European Patients’ Rights Day. 
Join the collection! Send us your good practice against waste and inefficiency in healthcare by filling the form by the 15th of March 2016, the best examples will be invited to the 4th of May conference in Brussels. Download the form and read more

MEPs Interest Group "EU Patients' Rights & Cross-border Healthcare"

ACN is happy to welcome Giovanni La Via as new MEP Supporter
Active Citizenship Network is glad to welcome MEP Giovanni La Via as a new supporter of the MEP Interest Group “European Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare”. He is an Italian member of the EPP group and the Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). To read the updated list of the MEPs supporters, please click here

Improving patients’ rights in the age of the Cross Border Healthcare Directive
Active Citizenship Network is pleased to invite you to the European conference and webinar “Improving patients’ rights in the age of the Cross Border Healthcare Directive”, a debate among Institutions, experts, civic & patient organizations. The event it will be held next March 4th in Rome (Italy), as part of the EU project “From Citizen Involvement to Policy Impact (U-Impact)” supported by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union. The project coordinates citizen involvement with the public authorities at national and European level in nine European countries, in order to increase the impact of citizen initiatives on the policy making process in the EU. In this context, ACN is organising a European conference and webinar on one of our expertise: the strengthening and protection of patients’ rights, as it is officially recognised by the EU Commission-DG Santé in the EU Health Policy Forum as European stakeholder in the fields of public health and healthcare. Read more and contact us on mail@activecitizenship.net to participate.

News
Patients' Rights

Active Citizenship Network gave a lecture in a postgraduate course on Patient Advocacy in Barcelona
From the European Charter of Patients’ Rights to the Interest Group in the European Parliament” was the topic of the lecture delivered by the Director of ACN to the class. The first postgraduate course in Patient Advocacy is organised by Albert J. Jovell Institute of Public Health and Patient, accredited by the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Bacelona. To view the lecture, click here (ES language).

Opportunity to participate in patient engagement survey
The West Virginia University is conducting a research project to gain insights into the practices, challenges and trends related to patient advocacy.  Responses are  anonymous. To participate, please see the survey link.

EUPATI Toolbox on Medicines R&D has been launched
The EUPATI Toolbox contains fact sheets, graphics, presentation slides, videos, recorded webinars, materials ready to print as well as a full glossary.
The EUPATI Toolbox is now available in the following languages: English, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, French.

USA: About disabilities education resources
BestSchools.com has recently published the 2016 College Resources for Students with Disabilities. In the course of their research, they found out that most students with disabilities were actually not aware of all the grants, scholarships and education resources available to them. So, BestSchools.com has decided to create a user-­friendly guide that explores rights and protection provided by law, education opportunities as well as in-depth grants and scholarship programs specifically designed to support higher education. Read more

Civic Activism

Time to declare a state of democracy!
This event in Brussels comes at a critical juncture since fundamental rights and the European Union’s founding principles of human dignity, freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, solidarity, non-discrimination, and equality are at the centre of debate all over Europe. The roundtable on claiming fundamental rights in Europe is organised by the European Civic Forum and European Alternatives. Please visit the event's webpage for registration formalities.

Italy: culture behind bars
A joint effort has been made by Cittadinanzattiva and the Rebibbia Prison in Rome to protect human and civil rights, by promoting cultural initiatives that offer prisoners alternatives to deviance and crime. All the initiatives will be carried out in partnership with the theatre company “Stabile assai”, which has been performing cultural activities within the Rebibbia prison for over 15 years. Read more.

Events

February 16, Brussels (Belgium): Better Food for Better Health
Organised by the World Health Organization  (WHO) in collaboration with the Netherlands EU Presidency, the workshop brings together high-level policy makers,
experts and stakeholders for a panel debate. Please register here or contact: eventsweu@euro.who.int

February 18, Brussels (Belgium): HoNCAB Final Conference
The initiative sets up a Hospital Network (Hospital Network for Care Across Border in Europe) bringing  together hospitals interested in sharing experiences and good practices,  but also critical issues and possible solutions when providing care to cross­-border patients. Please register by using this link

February 25-26, Belgrade (Serbia): Civil Society and Beyond: A Joint Dialogue on the European Path
The Congress organised by Citizens for Europe aims to connect and engage in a vivid face-to-face debate civil society, European institutions and national authorities on three major themes: Dialogue between civil society and public authorities in the accession process; Regional cooperation between civil society; Civic dialogue between EU and (potential) candidate countries. To know more: contact@citizensforeurope.eu

March 3, Brussels (Belgium): Medical travel: a new European challenge
Medical travel is a term used to indicate traveling for medical care. In its primary meaning, refers to patients' search for specialised treatments, surgeries or rehabilitation programs in high-level hospitals with qualified personnel and innovative technologies. The term is also used when healthy patients decide to travel to wellness/SPA resorts to improve their health, as well as when they choose to reach the so-called "medicalised wellness centers" for services that may range from check-ups to rehabilitation or Home Care. The event is realized by the European Medical Association (EMA), for further information: contact@emanet.org

May 23-24 Brussels (Belgium): “Societal Impact of Pain” (SIP) 2016 “Time for action
The 6th event on the Societal Impact of Pain (SIP) is addressed to anyone involved in pain policy e.g. health care professionals, politicians, representatives of pain advocacy groups, insurances, health authorities, regulators and budget holders. Four are the topics for discussion: Pain as a quality indicator for health care. Chronic Pain: a disease or multi-morbidity?. The relevance of pain in cancer care and rehabilitation. Pain, rehabilitation and reintegration of workers in the working force. The scientific framework of SIP platform is under the responsibility of the European Pain Federation EFIC. Partners cooperating for SIP 2016 are Pain Alliance Europe and Active Citizenship Network. The pharmaceutical company Grünenthal GmbH is responsible for funding and non-financial support (e.g. logistical support). More information at Events / SIP 2016. Please register by using this link; you will be notified on the status of your registration. For further information please visit the SIP website.

 

Credits
Director and Editor in chief: Mariano Votta
Editors: Daniela Quaggia & Sonia Belfiore
Coordination and Production: Giacomo D'Orazio 

To contribute, plase write to: mail@activecitizenship.net
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