Many thanks to Dr. @Filip Stillaert for taking the time to put together this thoughtful presentation on the lumbar flap. The patients in my community appreciate the education. 

Kindly,

Terri Coutee

Founder/Director

DiepCFoundation.org

Thank you to ARBSNet for sharing this video interview with @Minas Chrysopoulo, MD FACS  and a fine @London Breast Meeting  sponsor, T-Stat. I enjoyed out pre-meeting discussion. The London Breast Meeting was everything I thought it would be and more. Collaboration with an international consortium of surgeons and thought leaders in breast surgery has expanded my work and I look forward to working with those I met. 

~Gratefully submitted

Terri Coutee

I gained a lot more information from listening to this presentation after the London Breast Meeting. Thank you to ARBSNet for this forum to discuss these important topics further.

There are a few topics/concerns that were mentioned more than once by panelists and queries from audience members.

• Time with patients: a critical commodity to practitioners that is often hard to come by due to constraints within a healthcare system.
• Patient education: the informed patient is the empowered patient in terms of their involvement in the decision-making process of their care.
• Funding by politicians/government/: Providing full access to surgery/treatment not only for those in large cities with leading medical facilities, but also for those in outlying areas that tend not to want to travel or are not receiving the information about full access to care.

These three concerns seem to be a perfect trifecta of beginning to solve a long-time problem of optimizing patient care and outcomes.

As one who “purposefully placed myself between the patient and healthcare professionals”, how can patient advocates further this effort in each of the above bulleted items to reach more breast cancer patients?

What are we missing for those not receiving full educational access to information and care? There must be a way to reach more, the marginalized we spoke of in the discussion.

Do you feel having patients in discussion with lawmakers/politicians and industry leaders will make a difference in funding?

I am curious to know how others reading this comment feel giving specific, actionable items we can achieve together as patient advocates and physicians.

Respectfully submitted,

Terri Coutee

DiepCFoundation

Torie, what a pleasure to sit and chat with you about this wonderful opportunity for patient advocacy provided to me by the scientific committee at the London Breast Meeting. It's great to be a part of ARBSNet to learn even more. Thank you so much and see everyone in London!

Terri Coutee