MSDAVENIR and the UPMC Foundation sign a sponsorship agreement to jointly support the development of the Patients' University, an innovative educational device that integrates people affected by a chronic disease into university degree courses.
Ahe MSDAVENIR research support fund and the Pierre and Marie Curie University Foundation (UPMC) signed a sponsorship agreement in mid-December to jointly support the development of the Patients' University. Under the terms of this agreement, MSDAVENIR is supporting the project led by Professor Catherine Tourette-Turgis to the tune of one million euros over three years.
The University of Patients: Working "with patients for patients" was founded in 2010 by Catherine Tourette-Turgis, University Professor of Education at UPMC. This innovative educational system, which integrates people affected by a chronic disease into university degree courses, has already trained and graduated more than 600 healthcare professionals, including 103 patients. 30% of them have found work in the field of adult education or therapeutic education, others have continued their academic studies, created patient associations, or developed tools in the field of "patient experts". Indeed, "Rather than playing the role of an amateur doctor, the knowledge gained from patient experience is much more focused on how to deal with very personal things that happen in everyday life." said researchers of the University of Washington, after analysing the content of discussions held by health professionals and patients on the Internet and considering that the value of patient testimonials is often underestimated by doctors.
Each year, patients graduating from the patients' university provide more than 60 hours in UPMC diplomas and more than 50 hours in training organizations. They co-facilitate workshops in therapeutic education in several AH-HP hospitals and in the regions. The concept has also been implemented and developed by two other structures: the Aix-Marseille Medical School in September 2013and then the one in Grenoble.
The partnership between MSDAVENIR and the UPMC Foundation has several objectives: first, to conduct a study to show how a chronic disease enables patients to acquire skills. Conducted alongside the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM), this study, unique in the world, will aim to show what skills patients acquire by treating their chronic disease. The aim is to open the door to patients' right to training and lifelong education and to demonstrate the need to "think employment" for the chronically ill.
Then open new diploma courses for patients in universities: the partnership between MSDAVENIR and the UPMC foundation aims at co-constructing training courses with patients who wish to take a place in health decision-making bodies. Among other things, it will make it possible to develop new diplomas and recruit a larger teaching team and patient students. This partnership aims to multiply these initiatives and should also make it possible to create a multimedia archive and documentation service accessible to all.
"A first study conducted in 2013-2014 has shown that going through university and co-training with caregivers has a strong impact on self-esteem and helps patients regain control over their own lives and health. Ultimately, the chronically ill participate in medical and healthcare work by producing work: the work of keeping oneself alive".says Professor Tourette-Turgis.
"The Patients' University project is fully in line with MSDAVENIR's DNA: to support research projects with high societal added value. Research and innovation in the field of healthcare are decisive in meeting the future challenges of our society, and this new MSDAVENIR partnership is an illustration of this".says Cyril Schiever, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MSDAVENIR.
"Recognizing the experience and expertise of patients, and more broadly of users, is a real public health issue. The creation of a Patients' University is a first in the academic world and this partnership allows UPMC to confirm its leading position in France and internationally on this issue with a strong societal impact".says Jean Chambaz, president of UPMC.
