Establishing Establishing COPD Patient OrganizationsCOPD Patient Organizations

Mariadelaide Franchi, ICC Co-Chair, Italy

Artwork by: Pierluigi Diano, Micaela Mau

ICC Members

MissionMission

• To improve health condition, quality of life and life expectation of people with COPD, and to defend the rights of patients, their families and caregivers

• The Association must represents the opinions, views and thoughts of COPD patients

StrategyStrategy

Prevention• To promote initiatives to prevent the development of

the disease• To encourage the early and correct diagnosis • To ensure a better quality of indoor and outdoor air

Management and care

• To improve health condition and quality of life of patients, their families and caregivers

• To dispose of health services of high quality standard, corresponding to the needs of patients

• To ensure equal treatment worldwide

Priority: Priority: The partnership of doctor and patient in improving health

• Prevention and environment control

• Early and accurate diagnosis

• Personalized therapy plan

• Global approach to the patient

• Continuity of health and social assistance

CapabilitiesCapabilities

The ways to acquire capability are:The ways to acquire capability are:

• Support of a Scientific Committee• Partnership with Scientific Societies• Collaboration with the health Institutions• Participation to the definition and up-dating of the

COPD guide lines• Participation to scientific meetings• Networking with International, National and local

organizations

Main initiativesMain initiatives

• To provide services, responding to the needs, interest and expectations of patients

• To advocacy, at local, National and International level, to obtain public interventions in favour of COPD patients

• To promote information, education and prevention campaigns

• To encourage the scientific research

How to communicate with How to communicate with COPD PatientsCOPD Patients

• Help line

• Written Information

• Web site

• Awareness Campaigns

• Specific surveys

PartnershipsPartnerships

• Health Institutions

• Scientific Societies (Specialists, GPs, Nurses, Therapist and other health care professional)

• Other patients organizations

Code of ethics and conductCode of ethics and conduct

The Association should define a code of ethics and conduct, with the aim to ensure that all the decisions and activities are developed with transparency and independence towards all the stakeholders

Sponsorship and managementSponsorship and management

The Association need appropriate resources, human resources and financial support. From the beginning the Association should define a fundraising policy