Pierre Fenaux, MD, PhD of Saint-Louis Hospital & Paris Diderot University, Paris, France and Joan Lluis Vives-Corrons, MD, PhD from the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain discuss the role of patients in the EuroBloodNet European Reference Network (ERN) on rare hematological diseases. First, they discuss the importance of the network for patients. According to Prof. Vives-Corrons, the most important objective of the network is to reduce the difference in quality of care between the different countries in Europe. Then, Prof. Fenaux and Prof. Vives-Corrons talk about the involvement and contribution of patient support groups to the network. Prof. Vives-Corrons highlights the empowerment of patients and how patients are key to the network and often very knowledgeable.
Recorded at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2016 Annual Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark.