Patients are increasingly being asked to tell their stories publicly to other patients, professional organizations, and those in decision-making roles such as regulators and legislators.
Patient stories provide unique insights not always apparent in data and statistics needed for policy development and can also provide other patients with guidance during diagnosis and treatment.
Too often, however, patients are thrust into public discussions without understanding how their experience can best be conveyed to different audiences. This is especially true when patients serve as consultants, professional speakers, and committee members to further a policy position, regulatory function, or reimbursement goal.
Established in 2019, PREP is a “boot camp” for patients who wish to improve their storytelling skills and advocacy efforts on a local and national level. The goal is to move beyond the traditional — “tell us your story” — approach to one that makes better use of their experience.
For the most part, PREP training is agnostic because many of the skills patients need to be effective are non-disease related, non-product specific, and non-industry focused.
Foundational courses cover the fundamentals of public speaking (or writing public comments); advanced courses focus on speaking with legislators, interpreting data to bolster their presentation, and storytelling for influence.
Training can be
- in-person workshops
- e-learning online
- live or recorded webinars
- one-on-one coaching
- writing and editing assistance
- one-time or through a series of courses
- adjunct to other patient training programs
- solo or in groups
In 2019, PREP was piloted with 15 cardiac device patients and 1 care partner with demonstrated results exceeding the original expectations of the sponsor and participating patients.
For more information, contact Gwen.
