Actions and re-actions of civic society and Patients Advocacy Groups across Europe during Covid-19 pandemic: Sharing good practices for more resilient Health Care Systems

Abstract

The recent pandemic seriously affected national health systems worldwide. The focus of the 2021 edition of the European Patients’ Rights Day was on patient organizations’ concrete reactions to it, offering answers to people and actions that should be put in place in order to have more resilient healthcare systems, starting from the 14 rights stated in the European Charter of Patients’ Rights. From their experiences emerged the great reforming force of civic organizations and Patient Advocacy Groups, capable of responding promptly to new needs by managing services, building alliances, quickly signalling necessary normative or procedural changes, mobilizing resources (both human and economic), introducing and promoting practices from which it will not be necessary to go back when everything is over. We still perceive the urgent need to better address the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Evidence collected during the crisis show that Covid-19 has had a significant impact – for instance - on Non-Communicable Diseases. Indeed, oncological and chronic patients have been left almost alone for several months. Rather than recalling the impact of Covid, the 15th European Patients’ Rights Day wanted to highlight actions and reactions that have civic & patients' organizations as protagonists: actions realized despite the pandemic and reactions put in place to mitigate its impact.