The II Level University Master Course in International Patient Advocacy Management (IPAM) is a flagship postgraduate program established by the Patient Advocacy Lab (ALTEMS), the Graduate School of Psychology Agostino Gemelli (ASAG), the Faculty of Economics, and the Faculty of Medicine “A. Gemelli” of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. The program is delivered in collaboration with EngageMinds Hub, the European Patient Forum (EPF), and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli – IRCCS.

IPAM equips healthcare leaders, patient advocates, and organizational managers with the interdisciplinary skills needed to thrive in today’s complex patient advocacy ecosystem, bridging science, policy, communication, and management.

The program is addressed to holders of a master’s degree (EQF level 7) in healthcare, medicine, pharmacy, humanities, sociology, economics, management, communications, or marketing from any accredited Italian or foreign university and affiliated to any of the classes indicated by the Decreto Ministeriale n° 386 del 26 luglio 2007.

Primary target audiences:

• Representatives of patients’ organizations and patient advocates
• Healthcare institution leaders and senior managers
• Pharmaceutical company leaders and managers with patient-engagement responsibilities

Previous experience in patient advocacy is an asset, but not required. The maximum cohort size is 30 participants, with 18 places reserved for patients’ representatives.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

For the next edition, IPAM has been newly restructured around four integrated thematic blocks, each identified by a letter of the program acronym. This refreshed architecture provides a comprehensive 360° preparation for patient advocacy professionals.

International: Navigating health policy and patient advocacy in an increasingly interconnected global environment, including EU legislation and the interaction between international, European, and national frameworks

Patient: Placing patients and patient organizations at the heart of healthcare, research, and policy, translating patient engagement theories/principles into meaningful practice

Advocacy: Designing, planning, and coordinating effective patient advocacy initiatives and campaigns using evidence-based communication, stakeholder engagement, and policy influence

Management: Successfully leading and managing a patient organization through sound governance, financial planning, fundraising, leadership, and project management.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

The program opens with two intensive alignment theoretical and practical modules, held from Wednesday to Saturday in March 2027, providing foundational knowledge. Eight monthly modules then follow, starting in May 2027, delivered on Fridays and Saturdays. Two of the modules — the first and the sixth — will be held in person at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan; the remaining modules will be delivered online.

I – International

Understanding and navigating the global landscape of patient advocacy

• Comparative healthcare systems: national models and international frameworks in comparative perspective (e.g., U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, and Gulf countries)
• The global health architecture: institutions, governance, and policy challenges
• EU institutions, decision-making, and health governance: competences, stakeholders, and policy processes
• EU regulation of medicines and medical technologies
• Patient organizations and advocacy across borders – building influence at the European and global level in an era of shrinking civic space, antimicrobial resistance, and geopolitical shifts affecting access to medicines

P – Patient

Fostering knowledge and science on patient engagement and advocacy

• Patient engagement science: theoretical frameworks, models of patient activation and engagement, impact evaluation
• Consumer health psychology: health decision-making, behavioral science, and psychological determinants of health
• Patient involvement in research, innovation, and healthcare design: from patient-centered medical products to healthcare systems and services
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation
• ealth literacy and patient empowerment: from capacity-building of patient representatives to addressing misinformation

A – Advocacy

How to ideate, plan, and coordinate a patient advocacy initiative

• Advocacy strategy, from theory to practice and simulation – behavioral change theory, nudging, stakeholder mapping, message framing, policy processes and campaign planning
• Coalition building and stakeholder engagement – partnerships, alliance building, multi-stakeholder collaboration and managing competing interests
• Communications strategy: internal and external communications, translating science into policy messages, media relations and social media strategies
• Research for advocacy: generating, interpreting, and using evidence to shape patient-centred policies
• Digital health & advocacy: big data, AI for patients, GDPR, digital advocacy tools and regulation, real-world evidence
• Access to medicines and healthcare innovation: advocacy strategies, policy processes and case studies
• Soft skills lab: negotiation, conflict management, public speaking, active listening

M – Management

How to manage a patient organization effectively

• Organizational governance – transparency, accountability, representativeness, volunteer management, strategic planning and organisational development
• Planning & bookkeeping – budgeting, cost control, audit readiness, annual reporting standards
• Fundraising strategy, diversification of funding sources, measuring fundraising effectiveness
• Project management – project cycle management, evaluation frameworks, responsible research practice
• Leadership – new leadership paradigms, personal leadership style, intergenerational team management; board management and capacity building
• Ethics, transparency and conflicts of interest in patient advocacy