The North American Thrombosis Forum Launches Healthcare Education Initiative With Patient Advocacy Symposium

BOSTON, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF) will raise awareness about issues related to medication adherence and patient education through a two-year initiative aimed at patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public.  The initiative is sponsored in part by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.  NATF will kick off the initiative with a Patient Advocacy Symposium on September 7 at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, MA.

The consequences of medication non-adherence place a heavy burden on the United States healthcare system.  Ultimately, the failure to take medication leads to disease symptoms, return visits to emergency departments and physician offices, additional diagnostic testing, and more prescription medications. 

Expert lecturers, John Fanikos, RPh, MBA and Gregory Piazza, MD, MS will deliver presentations in their respective fields of clinical pharmacy and cardiovascular medicine.  Dr. Fanikos will address barriers to medication adherence, including patient-clinician communication, socioeconomic status, and patient motivation.  Dr. Piazza will discuss the important role of patient education programs in improving medication adherence and patient outcomes.  A panel of patients will articulate how they have acquired the skills and knowledge to adhere to their medication regimens, with the objective of educating other patients and reinforcing the notion that patients can play an active role in managing their healthcare.  Content from the Patient Advocacy Symposium will be used in the initiative's second phase to develop an informational pamphlet and website for a broader audience of patients and clinicians.  These resources will be available in the spring of 2013.

The North American Thrombosis Forum (www.NATFonline.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving patient care, outcomes, and public health by utilizing a multi-disciplinary approach to advance thrombosis research and education.  NATF focuses on unmet needs and issues related to cardiovascular diseases such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.  NATF supports thrombosis-related programs, such as novel research projects, innovative educational programs, public policy initiatives, regulatory issues, and advocacy.

For more information, contact Erica Dour, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, at (617) 730-4120 or [email protected]. 

SOURCE North American Thrombosis Forum