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Description
Healthcare policies are important for the society in general. Each citizen becomes a patient or a relative of a patient at some point in time. The project will use active citizen involvement to draft the following document: Roadmap for the integration of the Personalized Medicine in Healthcare, aiming at a reform of the healthcare policies and placing the patient in the centre of the system. Education and Training is the main recommendation of the document that will be implemented under the project. It will include social empowerment by raising awareness of the opportunities for the use of personalized medicine as well as by guaranteeing an opportunity for direct involvement of all interested parties in decision-making and development of healthcare strategies and policies; organization of a broad information campaign on the subject; making available up-to-date information about personalized medicine and COVID-19 that is appropriate for both experts and the broad public, i.e. patients and citizens. The project will contribute to fighting disinformation about COVID-19. The project will raise citizens’ awareness and culture and will prepare them and will prepare them to take part in the changes in healthcare policies. The latter outcome cannot be achieved without the involvement of two main target groups, the media and medical specialists who will help reach the project goals and use the achievements of personalized and precision medicine in our healthcare system by making it available to everyone.
Summary of project results
The main goal of the project was to raise awareness on personalized medicine and COVID-19. To this end an information campaign was carried out on "What is it: Personalized medicine? "When it comes to medicine, one size does not fit all!" As part of the campaign, up-to-date information (6 detailed articles) on personalized medicine and COVID-19 was published, suitable for both specialists in the field and the general public - patients and citizens. With the articles dedicated to COVID-19, we aimed to contribute to the fight against disinformation on the subject of COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, information brochures containing key information on personalized medicine and its concept have been prepared and disseminated.
Another goal of the project was to acquaint citizens with the concept and role of patient advocates ("defenders of health"), and to conduct educational/ training workshop covering basic terms, processes and good practices in the field. A two-day school was held to train citizens in advocacy activities - School for "Defenders of Health"/ Patient Advocacy School. Following the set goal, specialized articles were prepared and published, and they were dedicated to the topic of patient-centricity, patient advocacy and their place in modern medicine.
Achieving the above goals was aimed at increasing knowledge about the opportunities and benefits of personalized medicine and functional health literacy of society, which in turn will ensure the possibility of direct participation of key stakeholders in decision-making process and in development of recommendations, strategies and policies in healthcare sector.
The Project Promoter has an updated website and specific section focused on the project - https://bapemed.org/aktualno/fond-aktivni-grazhdani-bulgaria/