How can you ensure patient advocacy innovations are accessible to all patients?

2 Co-design with patients

One of the best ways to ensure patient advocacy innovations are accessible to all patients is to co-design them with patients. Co-design is a process that involves patients as partners in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the innovation. By involving patients in every stage of the innovation cycle, you can ensure that the innovation is relevant, useful, acceptable, and adaptable to their context and preferences. Co-design also fosters trust, ownership, and empowerment among patients, as they feel valued and respected as experts of their own experience.

4 Test and refine

Another important step to ensure patient advocacy innovations are accessible to all patients is to test and refine them before, during, and after launching them. Testing and refining means collecting and analyzing data on the usability, effectiveness, and impact of the innovation, and making improvements based on the feedback and results. You can use various methods to test and refine your innovation, such as usability testing, pilot testing, randomized controlled trials, or quality improvement cycles. By testing and refining your innovation, you can identify and address any issues or gaps that might affect its accessibility and outcomes.

5 Educate and support

Finally, you should educate and support your patients and staff on how to use and benefit from the patient advocacy innovation. Education and support can include providing training, resources, coaching, mentoring, or peer support to help patients and staff understand, adopt, and sustain the innovation. Education and support can also help to overcome any resistance, skepticism, or fear that might hinder the acceptance and use of the innovation. By educating and supporting your patients and staff, you can increase their confidence, competence, and motivation to use the innovation effectively and efficiently.