This paper highlights the growing importance of partnerships between patients and the medical research community, emphasizing the value of patient involvement in research and authorship. The authors propose seven key actions to promote patient collaboration and advocate shifting from merely including patient authors to requiring justification for their exclusion. They call for patient participation in publication steering committees, improved recognition through a ‘patient author’ affiliation tag, and the development of fair compensation practices. In addition, they stress the need to make publications more accessible to broader audiences to enhance inclusion and impact.
Recommended on behalf of EASE by Silvia Maina, Italy