Melanoma QuickStart Workshop for new European Melanoma advocates
27-31 October 2015 Marseille
In October 2015, 16 Melanoma patients and advocates from 9 European countries gathered for the first Melanoma QuickStart workshop, a starter-level workshop combined with a group visit to EADO 2015, jointly organised by MelanomeFrance and the Melanoma Patient Network Europe. Participants were selected based on interest in Melanoma Patient advocacy and willingness to share information with fellow patients and advocates. Workshop language was English, so a reasonable level of English was required. Participants were asked to bring their digital devices of choice to explore a variety of digital communication tools, since sharing relevant information in their own countries was a key aim of this project. The workshop covered aspects of Melanoma advocacy: 1) A comprehensive overview of Melanoma and its treatments plus Q&A session - Prof. Luc Thomas (Lyon Sud). 2) How to access trustworthy medical and Patient relevant information - Violeta Astratinei (Melanoma Romania/MPNE) 3) Basics of Advocacy - Gilly Spurrier (MelanomeFrance/ MPNE)
4) Digital Media in Advocacy – Gilly Spurrier (MF/MPNE) 5) Conference basics and Melanoma facts - Gilly Spurrier (MF/MPNE) The conference was attended as a group and for most participants their first visit to a medical conference and provided insights into the latest developments in Melanoma treatment and research. Participants had a chance to learn how to navigate a meeting program, network with other attendees and understand the roles of different stakeholders. We coordinated the conference visit via social media and reported relevant findings on our dedicated QuickStart@EADO2015 blog. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and we have seen several participants increase their engagement both in national and the MPNE network. We are very grateful for the enthusiasm and motivation of our participants and faculty- we would especially like to thank Luc Thomas and Violeta Astratinei for their contributions, as well as our funders, Amgen, BMS, Novartis and Roche, without whom this event would have not taken place. Teilhet, 11 January 2016 Gilly Spurrier-Bernard MelanomeFrance Founder