OLD LYME, CT — SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 — Medical education often neglects the most important voice, ignoring the reason why we do what we do. How is it we can develop education that combines the hard facts of science and the complex art of treatment selection, but completely ignores the patient perspective? Medical education needs to adopt a clinical approach that validates the patient’s perspective and experiences, and incorporates it into the design as well as evaluation of the education.

In an effort to bring the patient voice to the medical education platform, The France Foundation has been working on several educational projects in collaboration with patient advocacy groups to ensure we don’t lose sight of our true objective: improving patient outcomes, which cannot be achieved without the partnership of patients in their own care.

In recognition of Global PF Awareness Month, The France Foundation launched its new regional symposia series in collaboration with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) at Inova Fairfax Medical Center, a PFF Care Center Network, on September 11th. This series is a true partnership between local patient advocates and the Care Center Network who work to create a personalized learning experience based on the local needs of patients and the medical center. This unique educational opportunity (supported by an educational grant from Boehringer Ingelheim) not only offers clinician and patient education on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, but also encourages patient-clinician interactions and opens the door for patient participatory medicine.

Finally, in an effort to gain patient feedback on the clinician education being provided, patients have the opportunity to view the clinician education and provide feedback. The goal is to not only address the educational needs as defined by the medical education providers, but also to ensure that aspects important to patients are being addressed.