On 19 March 2019 the first VSOP meeting took place with fifteen Dutch patient representatives involved in the European Patient Advocacy Groups (ePAGs), part of European Reference Networks (ERNs).
ERNs connect the recognised centres of excellence for rare diseases of the European Member States in order to facilitate cooperation in the field of care and research.
The aim of this meeting was to gain insight into the opportunities and challenges experienced by Dutch patient representatives in their European activities. At the national level, there is a need for coordination, exchange of experience, and cooperation with relevant parties such as the Ministry of Health and the Dutch Federation of University Medical Centres (NFU).
Doel van deze bijeenkomst was inzicht te krijgen in de kansen en uitdagingen die Nederlandse patiëntvertegenwoordigers ervaren bij hun Europese activiteiten. Op nationaal niveau blijkt er o.a. behoefte aan onderlinge afstemming, het uitwisselen van ervaringen en samenwerking met relevante partijen als het ministerie van VWS en Nederlandse Federatie van Universitair Medische Centra (NFU).
