Contact with fellow patients

Peer support events are held several times a year

At different times of the year, the ITP Patient Association organizes a number of get-togethers for patients. However, you can also be in contact with fellow patients without attending organised events. If you are a member of the patient association, you can log in to the private section of this website and contact other members via the forum. You can also ask questions to fellow patients on the private section of the Facebook page, which is only accessible to members.

Patients’ Day
A national peer support Patients’ Day is organized twice a year; this includes a formal and an informal event. These meetups are held in different parts of the Netherlands. At the formal get-together, the General Members' Meeting takes place and one or more speakers are invited to give a lecture. The subject of the talk might be about ITP itself, treatment methods, developments in the field of ITP or updates on the latest studies. During the coffee breaks, lunch and the closing drinks, there will be sufficient time to chat with fellow patients, members of the board and/or the guest speakers. At the informal Patients’ Day (following the General Members' Meeting), attendees can enjoy a pleasant and relaxing program before the event is brought to a close.

Patients’ Evening
Regional peer support contact evenings are also organised. These are held in different regions, in collaboration with a hematologist who gives a lecture about ITP at his/her hospital. These events are small-scale, accessible and informative.

Support groups
A recent initiative is the creation of ITP support groups. These group meetings are held in a small setting and provide an opportunity to meet fellow sufferers (without an expert being present providing information about ITP). This is thus a chance to exchange experiences with peers and gain support and understanding. We hope that such support group meet-ups will take place across the Netherlands, led by volunteers from the association.