EPF Congress 2025: Empowering the Patient

VPH is proud to have contributed to these discussions bringing the voices of our community. Our activities and the focus on the patient were also showcased on a rollup banner, drawing links between the discussed themes and the advances in in silico medicine research.

In his keynote, EPF’s Director of Operations Andreas Christodoulou stressed that patients should not be “invited guests at the table” but must become equal partners in shaping research agendas in healthcare. He called for care systems grounded in equity, empathy, and access, and for structured patient inclusion to become a standard, not just a catchy slogan to tick the box. Patient organisations, he stressed, are essential contributors to evidence, accountability, and trustworthy innovation in healthcare.

This principle lies at the heart of VPH’s vision and mission: we strive to value patients not merely as subjects of research, but as equal partners at every stage. We are committed to working alongside patients, learning and starting from their lived experiences, making sure their voices guide every innovation, from concept to clinic, embedding lived experience from design to governance.

The first day explored the pressing challenges and crises confronting European healthcare systems, highlighting the need for Europe to reprioritize healthcare. Day 2 shifted the discussions to exploring solutions and future pathways in healthcare, with a particular focus on digital health innovations and the role of AI technologies.

In conclusion, panel discussions pressed the importance of human-centred digital innovation, for digital systems to enhance empathy and shared decision-making. The overall message was clear: technology must remain rooted in humanity. A resilient European health ecosystem must be built together with patients, not just for them. VPH was proud to be present and will continue to support EPF’s crucial efforts to ensure that healthcare innovations, in silico technologies more specific, reflect and build on real patient experiences, needs, and values.