A virtual platform for advocacy organizations and patients they support.

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A virtual platform for advocacy organizations and patients they support.

More Info

A virtual platform for advocacy organizations and patients they support.

More Info

A virtual platform for advocacy organizations and patients they support.

More Info

We need you to help create change!
In 2023, we will be working on two projects in The Advocacy Exchange:

1. The creation of a resource to help patients and caregivers navigate racism and discrimination in the healthcare system
2. The creation of a self-assessment tool to learn the patient voice landscape and identify where advocates may want to use their voices

We welcome you to co-create change with other advocates in one or both of these projects. If you'd like to sign up or just learn more, please click the button below to get involved!

Sign Me Up to Be a Change Rebel

Uniting Patient Advocates

The Advocacy Exchange is a virtual platform created to unite advocacy organizations, patients, and industry leaders in the exchange of information. It is a global collaboration, co-created and co-led, and ‘always on’ to foster meaningful growth and partnership across disease areas to improve outcomes for patients.

Created initially to support the urgent needs of the patient advocacy community as the COVID Advocacy Exchange (CAE), The Advocacy Exchange is a first-of-its-kind platform offering live, interactive discussions through which patient voices are heard, and a virtual exhibit hall where participating organizations can share resources and learn from one another – all available free of charge, 24/7. The platform also includes a newsroom, searchable resource library and chatroom for discussion amongst the Working Groups in between meetings.

Working Groups

Expert-led focus discussions let you choose how you participate.

Racial & Ethnic Health and Healthcare Disparities
Led By Shelia Thorne

Access to Care
Led By Brad Love

Patient Voice/Patient-Focused Drug Development
Led By Neil Bertelsen

The Future of Advocacy
Led By Gary Nolan

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Featured Sessions

06/27/2023

Patient Advocacy is Integrating Lived Experience in Medicines Development

As science intersects with humanity, the patient voice is the most underutilized ingredient to improving health outcomes. Please join us as we hear the lived experiences of diverse patients in medicines development, and learn why your voice is essential to the co-creation of two new resources designed to help people navigate their healthcare journeys, support peers, and change healthcare systems.

04/25/2023

Advocating for the Invisible: When Health Conditions Are Unseen

Whether you’re interested in learning about managing health conditions for yourself, supporting your peers or changing health systems to improve outcomes for everyone, this session will arm you with knowledge to take action in the health areas that are important to you. Join us as two world-leading patient advocates share their personal experiences creating organizations and then global movements that are increasing awareness and action for diseases that are invisible until they become more serious.

02/27/2023

Co-Creating Health Equity by Including Lived Experiences

Although the opportunity for all people to attain the highest quality of life is becoming part of global healthcare discussions, the voices of those with lived experiences are too often excluded. During the last two years, Advocacy Exchange members have shared their expertise and lived experiences in four working groups. These working groups are now harnessing all of the advocate perspectives to co-create and drive two projects in 2023. The first project will be the creation of a resource for individuals who are experiencing discrimination in the healthcare system. The second will be the creation of a tool for individuals and allies who want to utilize their voice to create health equity structural change. We hope you’ll join us and contribute to this powerful conversation with our Working Group leaders – Sheila Thorne, Brad Love, Neil Bertelsen, and Gary Nolan – as we talk about what we can accomplish together and how we will make our mark in healthcare through these advocate-driven efforts.

12/01/2022

The Global Impact of Human Rights

As Nelson Mandela once said, “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” Humanity is at the core of all that we do. That’s why The Advocacy Exchange is proud to honor Universal Human Rights Month in December, as well as United Nations Human Rights Day on December 10. As we bring 2022 to a close, we’ll reflect on our work over 32 sessions of The Advocacy Exchange that has spotlighted advances in human rights within the healthcare space, as well as discuss the importance of Patient Rights for individual care. Please join us for this meaningful discussion about the power and impact of protecting the rights of people all over the world.

BMS Advocacy Toolkit

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Past Sessions

Checkbooks and Balances: How Advocacy Can Support Both Physical and Financial Health

11/10/2022

Uniting Patient Advocates

Working Groups

Patient Advocacy is Integrating Lived Experience in Medicines Development

Advocating for the Invisible: When Health Conditions Are Unseen

Co-Creating Health Equity by Including Lived Experiences

The Global Impact of Human Rights

BMS Advocacy Toolkit

Checkbooks and Balances: How Advocacy Can Support Both Physical and Financial Health

Managing Your Mental Health While Facing a Chronic Illness

Nurturing Yourself while Navigating the Nuances of Caregiving

Making Space to Care for Yourself