Why patients should be more empowered: a European perspective on lessons learned in the management of diabetes

Patient empowerment has emerged as a new paradigm that can help improve medical outcomes while lowering costs of treatment. The concept seems particularly promising in the management of chronic diseases. Diabetes may provide a blueprint for implementing patient empowerment because empowering patients has been instrumental in achieving the successes we have witnessed in the management of diabetes in recent decades. Looking at the example of diabetes, this article investigates the role and contribution of patient empowerment to therapy success and derives actions that need to be taken in order to fully leverage the potential of this concept for patients, health care professionals, and health systems.