Empowering Patients' Voices for Better Digestive Health in Europe

On November 19, 2025, the United European Gastroenterology (UEG) launched the Digestive Health Roundtable Manifesto at the European Cancer Summit 2025, strongly advocating for the recognition of patients as co-creators in the policies, research, and care surrounding digestive health rather than merely passive recipients. This revolutionary movement has garnered support from eight prominent patient associations and seeks to address the rising burden of digestive disorders across Europe.

The Current Challenges in Digestive Health

Digestive diseases rank among the leading causes of mortality and disability in Europe. Despite their significant impact, advancements in prevention, early detection, and equitable care remain inconsistent. Professor Patrizia Burra, the president of the UEG Public Affairs Group, underlined the urgency of the situation, stating that digestive diseases profoundly affect millions of individuals, as well as their families and healthcare systems.

The manifesto calls for a transformative culture of partnership where the experiences of patients play a pivotal role in steering research priorities, influencing policy decisions, and steering clinical practices.

Focus Areas for Improvement

The manifesto specifically identifies three crucial areas where rapid and meaningful change is necessary:

1. Digestive Cancer Care

Digestive cancers are responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually across UEG member states, accounting for more than a third of cancer-related fatalities. There is a pressing need to bolster prevention strategies, enhance early screening processes, and integrate primary care better. Raising public awareness to facilitate earlier detection is key to mitigating this grave issue.

2. Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROM)

The manifesto emphasizes the significance of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROM), which reflect the real impact of digestive diseases and treatments on patients’ lives. It advocates for the collaborative development of standardized, inclusive PROM frameworks to ensure that quality of life is at the forefront of assessments, decision-making, and healthcare reimbursement processes.

3. Patient Involvement in Clinical Trials

Including patient perspectives in clinical trial designs greatly improves their ethical considerations and real-world relevance. The manifesto promotes equitable access through decentralized trials, proposing a