After the opening ceremony of patient-included ICPIC 2019 (Infection Control and Prevention International Congress), which began with a patient keynote by Vanessa Carter, the first day of the conference included a session entitled “Patient Participation Platform,” that I had the great pleasure of moderating.  While it might be a standard statement, to say that “it was a pleasure to moderate a session,” and especially one in which patients tell their story. In this case, my experience went beyond that, because for two of the testimonials, I was called upon to compose and announce the English version, sentence by sentence, in the first person.

While I, of course, am not these patients, the role I had led me to feel the weight of someone else’s experience, as I never have. I felt like a vessel through which the emotion was passing. You will hopefully note this, when you watch the video.

• The session began with an overview in English, of patient-centered care by a physician from the Geneva University Hospitals, Dr Thomas Agaritsas. For our French viewers, I think you will also understand DrAgaritsas. He uses slides and he speaks clearly.  Thomas referred very favorably to the BMJ article “Let the patient-revolution begin” and “Why we revolt” by Dr Victor Montori and clearly embraces patient partnership at the university hospital.  He also told of the meetings organized at the Geneva University Hospitals, to enable professionals and patients to discuss shared-decision making and to help change the culture.
• At 23 minutes approximately, we hear from the first patient, François Velen, who speaks about his very challenging experience with hospital-associated infection following a minor operation. His testimonial is in French, but I translate his comments to English, after each pause. Next we hear from Melissa Rudolf about her experience with patient partnership. This is a video within the video,. And thirdly, at around minute 39, we hear from François Lugeon who had a heart transplant and must now follow a strict protocol to avoid exposure to infection. He also presents his testimonial in French and I again translated to English, after each pause.
• At minute 47, I explained the pink socks concept of gifting something to people doing good and gave the socks to the patients. The last ten minutes include questions to the panelists including Vanessa Carter who had, the day before, “brought the house down” in plenary with her testimony.

Please take the time to watch this wonderful session.

Denise Silber