Establishing COPD Patient Organizations Mariadelaide Franchi, ICC Co-Chair, Italy Artwork by: Pierluigi Diano, Micaela Mau

ICC Members

Mission To improve health condition, quality of life and life expectation of people with COPD, and to defend the rights of patients, their families and caregivers The Association must represents the opinions, views and thoughts of COPD patients

Strategy Prevention To promote initiatives to prevent the development of the disease To encourage the early and correct diagnosis To ensure a better quality of indoor and outdoor air Management and care To improve health condition and quality of life of patients, their families and caregivers To dispose of health services of high quality standard, corresponding to the needs of patients To ensure equal treatment worldwide

Priority: Priority: The partnership of doctor and patient in improving health Prevention and environment control Early and accurate diagnosis Personalized therapy plan Global approach to the patient Continuity of health and social assistance

Capabilities The ways to acquire capability are: Support of a Scientific Committee Partnership with Scientific Societies Collaboration with the health Institutions Participation to the definition and up-dating of the COPD guide lines Participation to scientific meetings Networking with International, National and local organizations

Main initiatives To provide services, responding to the needs, interest and expectations of patients To advocacy, at local, National and International level, to obtain public interventions in favour of COPD patients To promote information, education and prevention campaigns To encourage the scientific research

How to communicate with COPD Patients Help line Written Information Web site Awareness Campaigns Specific surveys

Partnerships Health Institutions Scientific Societies (Specialists, GPs, Nurses, Therapist and other health care professional) Other patients organizations

Code of ethics and conduct The Association should define a code of ethics and conduct, with the aim to ensure that all the decisions and activities are developed with transparency and independence towards all the stakeholders

Sponsorship and management The Association need appropriate resources, human resources and financial support. From the beginning the Association should define a fundraising policy