Agenda - Day 2
Patient Engagement Solutions & Innovations World Congress 2026 Europe
Transforming Care Through Technology, Empathy, and Collaboration.
London, United Kingdom
Day 2 - Friday 27th March 2026
Emma Sutcliffe, Founder, Chief Patient Officer, ISPEP
ENSURING EQUITY, TRUST & ACCESSIBILITY IN ENGAGEMENT INNOVATION
- How the current clinical trial distribution system creates bottlenecks, slowing recruitment and limiting scientific representation.
- Why this isn’t just a vision, but a tangible shift already taking shape, and how Global CTDN is redefining the ecosystem to eliminate the search burden and connect the right trials to the right people, seamlessly.
- How we’re building the infrastructure enabling smarter trial design, deeper intelligence across the clinical research landscape, and faster, more targeted recruitment.
- What it means for patients, physicians, and the industry when matching becomes effortless.
- This isn’t just about technology; it’s about reimagining collaboration, equity, and efficiency in clinical research. Join us to explore how CTDN is turning “what if” into “what’s next.”
Nicholas Brooke, Founder and Executive Director, The Synergist
- How MSIF adapts and translates global resources through the MS Resource Hub to close topic and language gaps.
- How global datasets, including the Atlas of MS and new evidence on diagnosis, guide advocacy for early and accurate diagnosis.
- How mentoring, small grants, and shared case studies strengthen emerging MS organisations in Latin America, Africa, and the MENA region.
- Design principles that support inclusion: co-creation, clear language, multilingual materials, and formats that work in low-bandwidth settings.
Dr Lydia E Makaroff, Chief Executive, Multiple Sclerosis International Federation
- Overview of digital patient access platforms across five European countries
- Comparison of national and regional digital health system models
- Key lessons on scaling patient engagement and digital health adoption across Europe
John Rayner, Senior Director, EMEA Region, HIMSS
- What clinical trials can learn from consumer industries about trust, experience, and engagement?
- Moving beyond digitising old processes to true patient‑centred digital transformation
- Applying human‑centred design across awareness, consideration, enrolment, and retention
- How technology and AI can scale personalised, inclusive recruitment without increasing burden
Lisa Kerr, Senior Director of Patient Engagement, Evinova
- Bringing an always‐on support model to rare disease trials, be present between visits, reduce burden, and respect privacy and choice.
- Co‐design with patients, caregivers, and sites; cut burden via the Patient Friction Coefficient (PFC); unify tools into one companion.
Claudio Sperandio, Executive Director, Development Strategy and Integration, Alexion
- A patient engagement strategy is now a business asset
- Business assets are best delivered by professionals
- Why we no longer accept ‘passionate’ in our job descriptions
Emma Sutcliffe, Founder, Chief Patient Officer, ISPEP
- This session looks at a simple but often overlooked truth in clinical research: just because someone is eligible for a trial does not mean they feel ready to join it.
- It will explore how patients make decisions when faced with complex information, uncertainty, and real-life pressures, and why the design of digital tools can either support that process or make it harder.
- Using ideas from cognitive load theory, decisional conflict research, and Self-Determination Theory, the session will show how to create tools and pathways that improve clarity, build trust, and preserve patient choice.
Dr. Angelika Grechnaya, Psychological & Behavioural Science Lead, pRxEngage
Keith Berelowitz, Founder/CEO, pRxEngage Inc
ENHANCING COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION
- How can digital platforms improve clarity and timeliness in provider–patient communication?
- What strategies can ensure that technology enhances human empathy in care interactions?
- How can clinicians be effectively trained to use digital communication tools while maintaining a personal connection with patients?
- What role does real-time data sharing play in empowering patients to take a more active role in their healthcare decision-making?
Lara Bloom, President and CEO, The Ehlers-Danlos Society
- What we built & why: A short, plain‐language animation shown alongside the paper informed consent to help potential participants and their families grasp study aims, treatments, visits, and procedures.
- Who shaped it: Developed in partnership with a patient panel; aligned with global trial teams to keep clinical accuracy while maximising accessibility.
- The 2‐year reality: Navigating ethics & legal review, procurement, hosting/IT security, and site enablement.
- Early signals: Positive investigational site feedback; participant feedback being collected; Adapting the asset for other regions.
- Equity lens: Designed to address health literacy needs and participation disparities in prostate cancer.
- Call to industry: A practical blueprint to scale; shared storyboard modules, governance templates, hosting standards, and pooled translation models, so multimedia consent becomes routine, not bespoke.
Marie Pullen, Associate Director, Clinical Operations, MSD (UK)
Gillian Thwaites, Associate Director, Clinical Operations, MSD (UK)
- The CTDN project aims to support a next-generation clinical research ecosystem that connects & empowers those players driven to optimise clinical trials performance, through deeper and wider patient engagement and ensuring patient and scientific representativeness.
Nicholas Brooke, Founder and Executive Director, The Synergist
- Trends that will shape engagement leadership in the coming decade.
- Evolving role of pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in a data-literate patient environment.
- Emerging technologies that will create a competitive advantage.
- How can we maintain a human-centered approach to engagement?
Moderator:
Emma Sutcliffe, Founder, Chief Patient Officer, ISPEP
Panellist: Lara Bloom, President and CEO, The Ehlers-Danlos Society Lisa Kerr, Senior Director of Patient Engagement, Evinova
Robert Mitchell-Thain, Chief Executive Officer, PBC Foundation
Emma Sutcliffe, Founder, Chief Patient Officer, ISPEP
