Episode #14
More That a Seat at the Table: Patients as Co-designers of Care
Learn more about our show and to submit ideas If you appreciate what you hear, please smash those like and follow buttons, subscribe to the show on your favorite listening app, and feel free to share. In this episode Erica & Stefan welcome Jennifer Cain Birkmose , a global healthcare leader whose career spans patient advocacy, rare disease, pharmaceutical development, health systems design, and community-based care. Together, we explore what it truly means to put patients at the center of healthcare, and why simply saying “patient-centric” isn’t enough. Jennifer shares how ethnographic research and deep patient engagement can transform clinical trial design, improve access to medicines, and lead to better health outcomes. The conversation dives into the persistent challenges facing healthcare today: delayed diagnoses, barriers to access, siloed decision-making, and the disconnect between what patient’s need and what healthcare systems often deliver. The trio examines how incentives shape healthcare, why patient voices must be embedded at every critical decision point, and how emerging technologies like AI can either perpetuate existing biases or help create more equitable solutions. From rare disease innovation to women’s health, payer perspectives, and the enduring power of grassroots advocacy, this episode is a compelling reminder that meaningful change begins when patients are not merely consulted, but become true partners in designing the future of healthcare. #PatientToPurpose #PatientCenteredCare #HealthcareInnovation #PatientAdvocacy #RareDiseaseAdvocacy
