Finalist
IEEPO’s Bold New Regional Approach: Empowering Patient Organisations Locally to Make a Difference Globally
by Havas SO for F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Summary of work
For over 17 years, the International Experience Exchange with Patient Organisations (IEEPO) has united global patient advocacy leaders to strengthen the collective impact of the patient voice in healthcare. While this collaboration has been instrumental in building shared understanding, many barriers patients face, including inequitable access to care and limited influence in decision-making, are deeply rooted in regional realities.
In 2025, IEEPO transitioned from a single global meeting into a regionally anchored experience exchange model. This shift enabled deeper exploration of challenges faced by patient communities across healthcare systems, economies and cultures, whilst maintaining a shared global vision.
The programme was developed through a year-long process of co-creation with a global External Advisory Committee and regional stakeholders, ensuring priorities and workshop agendas reflected regional needs. By embedding lived experience, it equipped patient advocates with the tools and connections to drive change within local healthcare systems.
Each workshop combined plenaries with collaborative, action-focused sessions, shifted participants from discussion to solution-building, where they co-developed advocacy initiatives to strengthen patient inclusion and influence in healthcare decision-making.
By combining global thought leadership with local action, the regional IEEPO model empowers patient communities, strengthens partnerships and builds sustainable, inclusive, patient-centred healthcare systems worldwide.
Judges’ comments
The judges felt that this entry had a good impact. It had excellent outcomes and it felt like it had taken a tired concept and given it new life by rethinking the model. It had good objectives and a good strategy, the outputs and outtakes were strong and it felt like the start of something promising.
