Patient organisations corner
One of the EADV’s main missions is to act as advocate and educator of patients, particularly those with cutaneous or venereal diseases. Our vision is to cooperate, for and with patients, to foster the continuous improvement of clinical care, to innovate and to advocate for their rights at European and national level.
To achieve this, the EADV works through the Advocacy Task Force (former Patient Association Working Group), aiming at:
- Developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with patient associations and other patient communities
- Improving patients’ awareness and education in Dermatology and Venereology
- Advocating for patient skin and venereal health, by proactively shaping national and EU-wide health policies
Other key patient-centred activities include the organisation of an annual Patient Organisations Area and a Joint scientific session, organised in collaboration with patient communities, during EADV Congresses.
These initiatives aim at increasing professionals’ awareness on patient needs and strengthening relationships between healthcare professionals and patient organisations.
Listening to the voice of patients enables us to improve the quality of dermatological care and build strong lines for mutual communication.
What are dermatologists, and what do they do?
A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the health and care of your skin, hair, nails, and the mucous membranes (like those on your eyelids, mouth, and nose).
Dermatologists are trained to:
- Diagnose and treat over 3,000 conditions, including but not limited to:
- Skin: acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, skin cancer
- Hair: hair thinning or loss
- Nails: fungal infections, abnormalities
- Mucous membranes: issues on eyelids, mouth, genital areas etc.
- Perform medical interventions
- Carry out surgical procedures
- Provide cosmetic therapies
- Identify systemic health issues:
- Recognize skin signs of internal diseases (e.g., diabetes, liver or heart disease)
A dermatologist plays a vital role in your overall health—they protect and manage your body’s largest organ, look after its appearance, and can even uncover signs of deeper health issues.
What are venereologists, and what do they do?
A venereologist is a medical doctor who specializes in venereology, the branch of medicine dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or infections (STIs).
Venereologists are trained to:
- Diagnose STDs/STIs
- Identify infections caused by bacteria (e.g., syphilis, gonorrhoea), viruses (e.g., herpes simplex, HPV, HIV), fungi (e.g., candidiasis), and parasites (e.g., genital scabies, pubic lice).
- Treat infections
- Prescribe appropriate antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal, or antiparasitic medications, and offer ongoing management for chronic conditions like HIV.
- Perform diagnostic procedures
- Take medical histories and conduct physical exams, including dermatologic and genital assessments.
- Prevent disease and provides counselling
- Offer pre-test and post-test counselling, education on safe sex, barrier methods, and birth control.
- Manage complications
- Treat consequences or co-infections associated with STDs.
- Collaborate with other specialties
- Work with dermatologists, gynaecologists, urologists, and infectious disease specialists, especially when treated conditions overlap.
Patient organisations-related activities
PATIENT ORGANISATIONS AREA
Since 2015, the EADV has hosted a Patient Organisations Area at its annual Congress. We invite patient organizations to participate, bringing the patient voice to foster communication. This area offers a platform to showcase your work, promote advocacy resources, and engage with the dermatology and venereology community.
JOINT SESSION AT EADV CONGRESS
Integrating Patient Perspectives in Dermatology and Venereology
Improving dermatological health requires a strong partnership between patient communities and healthcare providers. The EADV promotes this partnership by fostering debate, collaboration and knowledge exchange between key opinion leaders and patient associations. Each year, a dedicated scientific session is organised with this aim as part of the Scientific Programme of EADV Congress. This session is organised by the EADV Advocacy Task Force, in collaboration with selected patient representatives/ organisations, and allows physicians and patient leaders to actively discuss on relevant topics in Dermatology and Venereology.
EADV PATIENT LEAFLETS
The EADV Task Forces produce patient information leaflets on a variety of skin conditions. These leaflets are created by EADV Task Forces, which are working teams of expert dermatologists and healthcare professionals who specialize in specific skin conditions.
EDUCATION SERIES
EADV periodically releases new educational content, primarily in the form of podcasts and interview series. This content includes expert insights, groundbreaking advancements in dermatology and venereology, but also meaningful considerations on the relationship between clinicians and patients.
PATIENT-ORIENTED WEBCAST SERIES
(Available to EADV Members only)
In order to give important insights to the Dermatology and Venereology community on how to deliver patient care in a way that patients feel heard and empowered to take on the challenges of their skin diseases, the EADV organised a webcast series that focuses on advice by physicians and psychologists and guidance from patients on care and treatment delivery; the series focus on what patients want and need to know, questions the doctor should not forget to ask, and best approaches to shared decision making.
| Title | Speakers |
| Cutaneous Oncology | Dr. Rick Waalboer, Dr Tobias Sangers, Mr Jaap Touw, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |
| Paediatric Dermatology | Dr Aleksandra Lesiak, Ms Dagmara Samselska, Mr Łukasz Kępczyński, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |
| Dermatological Surgery | Dr Elena Rossi, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |
| Inflammatory Skin Diseases | Dr Christian Vestergaard, TBC, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |
| Hair and Nail Disorders | Ms Sue Schilling, Dr Aurora Maria Alessandrini, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |
| Cosmetic Dermatology | Prof Alexander Katoulis, TBC, Dr Catherine van Montfrans |