Patient Engagement at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich
Through cooperation and exchange with self-help groups, patient organizations and cancer leagues, we want to better understand the perspective of people affected by cancer and integrate it into everyday clinical practice in order to continuously improve the quality of care.
Cooperation with self-help groups, patient organizations and cancer leagues
Patient organizations and self-help groups promote networking, inform and empower people with cancer, their relatives and friends so that they can cope better with the disease. They provide access to reliable information about different types of cancer, treatment options and side effects. This helps patients to make informed decisions. Emotional support also plays a major role. By talking to others who have had similar experiences, patients and relatives can share their worries and fears. In addition, many patient organizations work to improve healthcare, research and policy changes that benefit the needs of cancer patients through advocacy, lobbying and education. The CCCZ is in contact with the following patient organizations and self-help groups.
Health literacy thanks to self-help-friendly hospitals
Voluntary support services offered by patient organizations for patients with breast cancer:
Europa Donna, https://www.simplythebreast.ch/
Contact at the USZ:
Danijela Simonovic-Juric, Breast Cancer Nurse
Danijela.Simonovic-Juric@usz.ch
Voluntary support services offered by patient organizations for patients with gynaecological cancer:
Ellehelp, https://www.ellehelp.ch/
Contact at the USZ:
Danijela Simonovic-Juric, Breast Cancer Nurse
Danijela.Simonovic-Juric@usz.ch
Voluntary support services offered by patient organizations for patients with prostate cancer.
Prostate Café meeting
Contact at the USZ:
Pia Albin, Clinical Nurse, Clinic for Urology
Pia.Albin@usz.ch
+41 43 253 82 96
Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with hematologic neoplaxis:
- lymphome.ch – Patient Network Switzerland
- Myeloma Patients Switzerland – MPS
- Foundation for the Promotion of Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplantation
- MPN Patient Support Association Switzerland
Contact at the USZ:
Erik Aerts, Head of Nursing Department
erik.aerts@usz.ch
Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with skin cancer:
Contact at the USZ:
Linda Morgan, expert in skin cancer care
Tel. +41 43 253 85 44
linda.morgan@usz.ch
Volunteer support services provided by patient organizations for patients with lung cancer:
Contact at the USZ:
Prof. Dr. med. Isabelle Schmitt-Opitz, Clinic Director, Clinic for Thoracic Surgery
thoraxonkologiezentrum@usz.ch
Voluntary support services offered by patient organizations for patients with colorectal cancer
COLORECTUM – Colorectal cancer patient network
Contact at the USZ:
PD Dr. med. Ralph Fritsch Head Physician, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology
darmtumorzentrum@usz.ch
Selbsthilfe Zürich is the information and advice center on the subject of self-help and self-help groups in the city of Zurich and surrounding regions.
Selbsthilfe Zürich refers affected persons and their relatives to self-help groups, offers start-up assistance for the establishment of new self-help groups and supports existing groups in the face of challenges in their process.
The staff of the cantonal cancer leagues provide information and help in reorganizing the social and financial situation. People affected by cancer often have to deal not only with medical issues, but also with financial and organizational ones. Who takes care of the children when a parent has to go to the hospital? How do financial circumstances change when someone can no longer work?
The Zurich Lighthouse has been offering terminally ill, dying people a place to find peace for over 25 years. We help our residents to achieve the highest possible quality of life and the most autonomous farewell possible. Our interdisciplinary team guarantees not only holistic care and personal attention, but a final home.
Contact
Patient Advisory Board of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Zurich
Targets
The Patient Advisory Board of the CCCZ aims to better understand the perspective of patients, affected persons and relatives and to include them in the planning and implementation of processes and projects of the CCCZ. In this way, we would like to further develop the quality of care and research at the CCCZ in a patient-oriented manner.
Tasks
With the help of the CCCZ Patient Advisory Board, the views of patients and relatives are to be incorporated into the planning and implementation of processes and decisions at the CCCZ. Close cooperation already exists in the organization of CCCZ patient events, such as Cancer Survivor Day and the Patient Academies, which patient organizations and self-help groups help to shape and enrich with their own contributions. In addition, the content and comprehensibility of the CCCZ information media are to be improved through the joint exchange. Another project will deal with the development of “visible” patient pathways at the CCCZ.
Meeting
The CCCZ’s Patient Advisory Board was established in July 2023. Participants are representatives of patient organizations and self-help groups as well as employees from the CCCZ core areas of cancer medicine and cancer research. The meetings of the CCCZ Patient Advisory Board are held regularly (at least twice a year). Smaller project-specific working groups are also planned as required.
Participants
Patient organizations/self-help groups
- Isabell Nünninghoff, Elle Help, association for gynecological cancers
- Christina Christen, Tavola Rosa Zurich, Europa Donna
- Rosmarie Pfau, lymphome.ch, Patient Network Switzerland
- Michael Emmenegger, Association Living with Lung Cancer
Selbsthilfe Zürich
- Nadia Maurer, Self-Help Zurich
CCCZ
- Erik Aerts, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Prof. Dr. Konrad Basler, Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Director CCCZ Basic Research
- Catherine Frey Blanc, Clinic for Dermatology, CCCZ Skin Cancer Center
- Dr. Anna Götz, CCCZ Nursing
- Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Guckenberger, Clinic for Radiation Oncology, Director CCCZ Outreach and Education
- Marc Lutz, CCCZ Communication
- Linda Morgan, Clinic for Dermatology, CCCZ Skin Cancer Center
- Meihan Sarwary, CCCZ Clinical Trials Program
- Prof. Dr. med. Isabelle Schmitt Opitz, Clinic for Thoracic Surgery, CCCZ Organ Center Lung and Thoracic Oncology
- Danijela Simonovic-Juric, Clinic for Gynecology, CCCZ Breast Cancer Center
- Silke Uflacker, CCCZ Events
- Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Wicki, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology, Director CCCZ Clinical Program
- Dr. Maja Zenz, CCCZ Managing Director
