Kostas Stamatopoulos, MD, PhD from the Institute of Applied Biosciences, Center for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece discusses here the components required for patient empowerment, which is vital when managing this disease. Dr Stamatopoulos presents interesting data showing how a significant number of doctors would like communication skills training in order to ensure their patients are fully informed. This interview was recorded at the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL) 2017 in New York, NY.