Smart Patient Leadership Academy expert course: empowering patients, PatientsForce supports patient groups as partners
AI-translated from the Chinese original · editorially reviewed
As medical technology leaps forward and treatments continue to evolve, patients' voices and participation are increasingly vital to improving the healthcare system. PatientsForce has always believed that meaningful patient participation can fundamentally improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. That is why PatientsForce continues to support the Smart Patient Leadership Academy in cultivating patients into experts in healthcare decision-making.
To equip patients with the knowledge and evidence-based skills to serve as patient representatives in future policy discussions, the Smart Patient Leadership Academy has launched the EmpowerPatient360 online learning platform—the world's first Chinese-language online training course for patient representatives. Built on EUPATI course materials and adapted to local realities, it opens with an HTA curriculum to help patients understand health technology assessment, with digital health and medical devices to follow. EUPATI representative Sarah Bernier said: "EUPATI puts collaboration at its core, integrating it with information and education so that multiple stakeholders—patients, academia, industry, and more—can take part, giving patients greater knowledge and understanding. We are excited to see this first-ever Chinese-language platform expand and help Taiwan cultivate more next-generation patient representatives and leaders!"
The course brought together representatives from the National Health Insurance Administration, academia, patient organizations, and international bodies to explore the challenges patients face—and the roles they play—in healthcare decision-making. We especially appreciated Dr. Jo-Fang Pu's point that "empowerment is the foundation of entitlement." Only when patients build their own capabilities can they effectively exercise their rights and make a real impact on healthcare decisions. Through the Smart Patient Leadership Academy's systematic training, patients not only strengthen their own abilities but also lay a solid foundation for future advocacy.
The launch of the Smart Patient Leadership Academy's EmpowerPatient360 online learning platform marks the debut of the world's first Chinese-language online training course for patient representatives. This milestone will significantly raise patients' knowledge and representation, strengthening their voice in healthcare policy. We look forward to seeing this platform nurture more patient leaders with professional expertise and communication skills.
PatientsForce will continue to support and participate in initiatives like this, because we believe that deep patient engagement not only improves treatment outcomes but also advances the healthcare system as a whole. We hope the healthcare environment of the future will be a fairer, more open, and more inclusive space where every patient can speak up and be heard.