On the 20 October, during the ESMO 2018 Congress in Munich, ESMO will hold a launch event for its recently updated patient guides in breast cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer. A further guide on survivorship was launched last year and will also be discussed during the event.
Event objectives:
- To increase awareness, level of knowledge and optimise the practise in women’s cancers
- To share the updated guides for patients with the audience
- To encourage cancer care teams to access, use and share the guides with their patients
- To highlight the importance of patient centricity, shared decision-making and patient advocacy within the implementation of ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs)
- To inform the audience how they can access the guides.
Distinguished panel of experts
The session will be held from 12:30 to 13:00 at the Vesalius stage, ICM ground floor. We are proud to announce a distinguished panel of experts at this event:
- Prof. Nicoletta Colombo, ESMO Guidelines subject editor in gynaecological cancers, editorial board member for the ovarian and cervical cancer patient guides
- Dr. Elzbieta Senkus-Konefka, ESMO Guidelines subject editor in breast cancer, editorial board member for the breast cancer patient guide
- Lise Bjerrum Thisted, an oncology nurse who participated on behalf of EONS on the editorial board of the cervical cancer patient guide
- Kathi Apostolidis, ECPC Vice-President, breast cancer patient advocate, involved in the patient guide on survivorship.
What to expect?
An introduction by Jo Browning, the session facilitator, will focus on the importance of effective physician/patient communications, and topics such as verbal and body language, as well as delivering difficult news to patients.
Nicoletta Colombo will provide an overview of the Guides for Patients, present the 2018 updated titles, their development process which also includes patients/patient advocates right from the beginning of the process and the tailoring the production processes in general and to specific disease area. She will also provide some key insights from the Guide for patients in ovarian cancer and the Guide for patients in cervical cancer.
Elzbieta Senkus-Konefka will then go on to focus on the ease of use of the guides and the importance of shared decision-making, visuals and textual aids, as well as patient-friendly language. In addition, she will provide some key insights from the Guide for patients in breast cancer.
Lise Bjerrum Thisted will then add her perspective as an oncology nurse about the importance of shared decision-making, as well as lifestyle interventions. In addition, she will provide key insights from the Guide for patients in cervical cancer.
Kathi Apostolidis will provide a patient perspective on women’s cancers by discussing adoption of the survivorship plan, an important achievement in the Guide for patients on survivorship, as well as about the general importance of guides for patients in oncology.
An important element of this session would be a live discussion with the audience. After answering questions, the expert panel will provide final reflections in terms of use of the guides in the context of clinical practice and modern patient bedside education.
Our Guides for Patients are patient versions of the ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines produced with an aim to support patient/physician conversations and empower patients to discuss treatment options, side-effects, follow-up and survivorship plan. During the ESMO 2018 Congress, copies in English will be available for free distribution at the ESMO booth. Translations in other languages are available on ESMO website.