This course will explain why medical professionals and patient groups might want to work with each other and the different types of interactions that they may have. The first section will discuss collaborative interactions, whilst the second section will explain how patient groups can get involved with medical education, outreach and raise awareness of their disease to medical professionals. Case studies will be used throughout the course to demonstrate successful outcomes that have been achieved through these types of interactions.

Objectives:

• To understand the different ways patient groups and medical professionals can interact and work together, and the benefits of collaborating.
• To understand how to identify and connect with medical professionals to begin collaborative interactions.
• To understand how patient groups can take a role in medical education and outreach to medical professionals.