Focusing on the support of socially innovative actions that promote the empowerment and social inclusion of vulnerable social groups, the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation made a founding donation to support, among others, the “Patients Hub” initiative, the first collaborative patient hub in Greece focusing on innovation and patient empowerment designed by “Humane”, a network for the empowerment of people with disabilities and chronic diseases. Based on the principles of co-design, the “Patients Hub” is a significant social entrepreneurship project, where patients act as experts in multidisciplinary teams, contributing to the “redesign of Health” through the implementation of innovative and personalised care services that are in line with the current challenges of the digital transformation of Public Health. In addition, the fully accessible and equipped space of the “Patients Hub” hosts networking events, information and awareness-raising activities, and education and training seminars; furthermore, it provides consultancy services, aiming at the long-term development and empowerment of the patient ecosystem, the patients’ associations in Greece, as well as the partner institutions in the field of Healthcare.

• “Patients Hub” services are used by 189 organisations, including 70 Associations-members of the Greek Patients Association, while over 250 people with disabilities or chronic diseases have visited the “Patients Hub” premises.
• 11 seminars have been implemented on various topics, such as Health Policies and Capacity Building.

“I recently participated in the health policies seminars at Patients Hub; what a great experience it has been. One of the things that all participants learned was how to communicate effectively with our healthcare providers and also to better understand how the healthcare system works. Through the discussions and interactive  character of the seminars, we gained new insights and experiences about our role as patients in advocacy issues, as well as how to run our associations more effectively. I felt like I was part of a community where everyone was supportive and willing to share their experiences and knowledge; knowing that I am not alone in my journey has been reassuring.”

Katerina Koutsogianni
Vice-President, Greek Patients Association 

“Patients Hub is finally a reality. Patients now have access to a modern collaborative space that has the capacity to accommodate the modern needs of patient representatives in terms of co-working and networking. Patients Hub is a community where patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals come together to share their knowledge and experiences from different therapeutic fields. I am grateful that the project found supporters from the very beginning, people who believed that patients can innovate and participate in Health Policy making on an equal footing. Our vision is to ‘redesign Healthcare’ in an innovative way, where value is returned to the patient.”

Dimitris Kontopidis
Co-Founder & Director, Humane Social Enterprise
Founder, Patients Hub
Vice-President & Head of Digital Health, Greek Patients Association