L-R: Urška Košir, Victoria Harmer, Thomas Hofmarcher, Nichole Davies
VML Health hosted its inaugural Patient Advocacy Summit in Berlin, uniting key patient advocacy leaders, clinicians and industry partners from across Europe, North America, Africa and Australasia to explore a powerful question: how can connection create real impact in healthcare?
The summit, held during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, was set up to move the debate on patient care beyond abstract discussions of ‘the patient voice’ and bring lived experience, science and storytelling into the room. Speakers included Dr Urška Košir (Swedish Institute for Health Economics), Dr Victoria Harmer (Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust UK), Dr Thomas Hofmarcher (Swedish Institute for Health Economics) and Dr Tanja Španić (Executive Director, Europa Donna Slovenia & Past-President, Europa Donna – The European Breast Cancer Coalition), who joined leading patient advocates to reframe advocacy and agree a roadmap for lasting change.
“At our first Patient Advocacy Summit, we saw what happens when patient voices are placed at the centre of the debate – not as a symbol, but as the engine of real change. When we connect knowledge, experience and strategy, we don’t just talk about impact – we create it,” said Nichole Davies, Global Chief Strategy Officer, VML Health. “We call this radical empathy – listening deeply, designing with understanding, and helping brands and systems truly connect with the people they serve. That belief inspired this summit and the conversations that shaped it.”
Key learnings and highlights from the summit included:
- Empowering patients through health literacy: health literacy is a shared responsibility, and co-creating materials with patients drives better outcomes and equity
- Breaking barriers to equity: social determinants – from loneliness to language – shape access and outcomes, and peer-led data collection and genuine patient inclusion in decision-making are essential for progress
- From voices to policy: lived experience improves adherence, trust and innovation, with local, community-based outreach and true partnership driving inclusion and accountability
- Turning advocacy into action: advocacy is about action, not attendance, and early, accessible communication and training build movements and multiply impact
- Creativity as a catalyst: storytelling and creative partnerships, such as the ‘Cancer Currency’ campaign, can drive policy change and make the invisible visible
- Connected strategies for collective impact: clear strategy, purposeful partnerships and co-creation keep advocacy relevant and measurable, multiplying reach and influence.
As the Patient Advocacy Summit concluded, participants agreed that the real work begins now: translating insights into sustained action across the healthcare ecosystem.
“Health literacy and true collaboration are not endpoints – they are the foundation for equitable care,” said Dr. Urška Košir, Research Manager, Swedish Institute for Health Economics. “The conversations we started in Berlin must continue across borders and disciplines, so that every patient can access the information, support and innovation they deserve.”