From conversation to care: Improving patient-centred outcomes through conferences

Healthcare conferences bring together diverse stakeholders—including healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and representatives from patient organisations or advocacy groups—to advance patient care. While conferences have always been essential for sharing research findings and fostering thought-provoking expert collaboration, hybrid and virtual events have expanded their reach to a global audience.

Some conferences take an R&D (research and development) stance, presenting the latest methodologies and experimental results to advance scientific knowledge. Others focus on the patient experience of care, exploring topics such as patient engagement and centricity, while some emphasise emerging innovations that aim to revolutionise health outcomes through technology. In any case, conferences are vital platforms for sharing expertise and networking, serving as a gateway for alignment across all disease domains in the healthcare industry.

This article provides examples of established healthcare conferences, each taking a different route but united by their shared end goal: promoting care for patients.

Leveraging digital tools to advance care pathways

Positioned as Europe's leading healthcare innovation event, HLTH Europe attracts over 5,000 attendees and 350 expert speakers from across the healthcare ecosystem each year to explore the evolving role of technology in health. The 2025 function, scheduled for June, will address a range of high-impact and timely topics in the healthcare space—such as how the next generation of wearables will transform healthcare and how artificial intelligence (AI) can seamlessly manage data-driven processes like data matching (the comparison of complex data sets). But why are these technological advances so critical to discuss?

Wearable devices assist patients in monitoring and engaging with their health in real-time, empowering them with personalised data to support early detection of inconsistencies and enhancing motivation around controllable factors, such as daily step count. (1) Additionally, wearables are increasingly adopted in clinical settings, improving clinical trial accessibility through decentralised (remote) involvement and allowing for continuous monitoring in natural settings. (2)

Moving to the application of AI in data matching, cross-checking information across databases using AI helps ensure the accuracy of ‘behind-the-scenes’ processes, such as identifying errors in health insurance claims. (3) While this advancement may seem less patient-focused, reliable AI-operated data systems minimise the time and financial burdens of correcting faulty information. This allows for a shift in resources towards higher-quality patient care.

While conference talks typically involve a moderator and industry experts, questions from audience members are encouraged to further catalyse panel discussions. Including diverse stakeholder perspectives fosters a collaborative environment, unlocking meaningful debates to identify key barriers to technological integration and brainstorming problem-based solutions that move the field forward for patients.

Gathering patient insights to shift care strategies towards their needs 

Although HLTH Europe is primarily a digital innovation event, the agenda includes a session on Gen Z’s shift in priorities towards healthier living, independent of technology. By amplifying the interests and expectations of the next generation—from normalising reduced alcohol intake to ensuring readily available mental health support programmes—stakeholders can learn what matters to these individuals, leveraging stories from real people to shape the future of healthcare.

Typically, conferences charge an attendance fee. However, to encourage active patient participation in the industry, some events offer free tickets for patient groups. Patients as Partners Europe takes a “Patient’s First!” approach to their annual meetings, providing scholarships to patients who have participated in clinical trials. This offers a space for patients to share their insights and lived experiences with the industry, bridging the gap between their needs and the delivery of research. This year's theme focuses on actionable change in clinical research to make trial participation more convenient, ultimately accelerating the development of medicines that provide value to patients. 

At this event, patients have the opportunity to lead breakout sessions, panels, and roundtables, ensuring their voices are heard. Beyond this, Patients as Partners Europe offers an ‘AskthePatients’ scheme, where attendees can meet one-on-one with individuals living with chronic disease or those who have recovered from their condition, providing a realistic understanding of trial participation.

Overall, patient-first conferences enable the direct exchange of information between individuals living with diseases and policymakers, R&D teams, practitioners, and other industry professionals. In turn, these insights inform regulatory decisions and best practices regarding diagnostics, treatments, and other supportive services for holistic patient-centric care.

Disseminating groundbreaking scientific discoveries across the industry

In many cases, R&D teams use conferences to share their research outputs with the wider industry. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) holds various conferences to present “cutting-edge scientific research and discoveries” in cancer care, with the 2025 annual meeting planning to discuss breakthroughs in immunotherapies and targeted medicines for rare and advanced forms. This event is of particular interest to oncology professionals who want to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field—this could include guideline updates, an understanding of a newly discovered pathological mechanism, or a nearly licensed drug coming to market—allowing them to deliver optimal care to their patients.

Beyond continuous professional development, the research presented at these conferences often paves the way for faster clinical adoption of novel therapeutics. This is crucial for the timely delivery of safe and effective treatment options to patients, especially in progressive conditions such as cancer. Moreover, having patients attend is important for improving health literacy, offering the opportunity for a deeper understanding of the underlying disease pathology or promising therapeutics, enabling them to take a more active role in their care.

Valuable discussions can also be published in scientific journals to extend the reach of health breakthroughs beyond the immediate conference audience. For example, Hammad and colleagues (2025) summarised key learnings from the ASCO 2024 meeting in a published paper, emphasising the potential of bispecific antibodies in treating a range of cancers. (4)

At Synthesis, a team of specialist medical writers who thrive on continuous learning in the medical space, we understand the value of conferences in driving innovation through impactful communication and collaboration. We believe that every healthcare discussion—whether a panel, Q&A, or roundtable—should actively involve patients to shape clinical decision-making with their needs at the centre. Contact us at info@synthesishealth.co.uk to learn how we can support your patient engagement initiatives through the power of communication.

At Synthesis, we recognise that successful patient ambassador programmes require collaboration between diverse stakeholders, including patient organisations and advocacy groups. That is why we are committed to fostering strong partnerships within the industry, connecting patients with pharma. Contact us at info@synthesishealth.co.uk to learn how our specialist writers can help amplify your patient ambassador initiatives. Together, we can empower those living with disease with the tools they need to navigate the healthcare system and offer emotional support through a sense of community.

References

1. Piwek L, Ellis DA, Andrews S, Joinson A. The Rise of Consumer Health Wearables: Promises and Barriers. PLoS Med. 2016;13(2):e1001953. Published 2016 Feb 2. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001953

2. Izmailova ES, Wagner JA, Perakslis ED. Wearable Devices in Clinical Trials: Hype and Hypothesis. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2018;104(1):42-52. doi:10.1002/cpt.966

3. Davenport T, Kalakota R. The potential for artificial intelligence in healthcare. Future Healthc J. 2019;6(2):94-98. doi:10.7861/futurehosp.6-2-94

4. Hammad, S., Boutros, M., Attieh, F. et al. Recent advancements at ASCO 2024 in PD-L1 and PD-1 bispecific antibodies. Med Oncol 42, 5 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-024-02559-3