In the evolving healthcare landscape, the patient voice has become a powerful contributor to medical innovation. Patients have greater access to information and resources than ever before, and as a result are actively engaged in their own health decision-making.

In Korea, like many countries around the world, patients have become more organized, more vocal and more determined to advocate for improved access to innovative treatments.

While we have always embraced the Johnson & Johnson Credo-inspired directive to put patients first, cultural barriers in Korea meant that patients have not always been fully involved in decision making and disease management.

Recognizing that this environment is rapidly changing, Janssen Korea embarked on a mission to reconsider and refine our approach to patient-centricity.

First, we established a patient engagement team with the key purpose of listening to patients and better understanding their concerns and aspirations.

The ongoing initiative, called ‘In Tandem with Patients’, is designed to expand engagement and partnership opportunities through education, advocacy and corporate social responsibility.

We also implemented a patient engagement program called ‘DoDream’. The name has dual meaning: in English, ‘achieving one’s dream’, and in Korean, it more accurately translates as ‘knocking on the door’.  

This is fitting because at the heart of the program, we are inviting patients with specific diseases to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest, voice their concerns, and help us find the best solutions.

To date, the DoDream program has held four meetings across various disease states including psoriasis and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The meetings uncovered many insights: for example, that one of the biggest concerns of psoriasis patients, particularly young people, is recovering social networks lost due to disease prejudice and finding a way to communicate more openly with medical staff.

In response, the DoDream team is establishing a multi-channel campaign aimed at improving disease awareness and management among young Koreans with psoriasis.

This is a new paradigm in patient-focused programs, reflecting changes in Korean society and patient expectations.

In the future, we’re looking to expand DoDream to patients living with other diseases. We’re also dedicated to developing solutions based on insights from patients themselves and forming collaborative partnerships.

We strongly believe that working in tandem with patients who are empowered and impassioned allows us to do more and do better to help them lead happier, healthier lives.

As our founder Dr. Paul Janssen said: “Patients are waiting”. Now is the time for us to meet with patients, listen to their concerns and make sure our door is always open.