Lived Experience Matters in Cancer Care
Patient engagement plays a crucial role in improving cancer care and research.
The Patient and Family Engagement program brings together patients and caregivers to share their experiences and suggest improvements.
This program has been expanded to match patient advocates with researchers, helping design more effective and patient-friendly clinical trials.
- Some patients become advocates after a positive experience with early diagnosis and successful treatment.
- Others get involved after a negative experience, such as a misdiagnosis.
Brandelyn Bergstedt, director of Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s Patient Experience Program, became a patient advocate after a personal experience with misdiagnosis during pregnancy.
Author's summary: Patient engagement enhances cancer care through shared experiences.