On Friday 24th March we attended the Society of Endocrinology National Clinical Cases at the RSM in London.
This is a training day for endocrinologists who have the chance to showcase their work in the form of large posters. Ten case studies are selected to be presented and discussed which helps to advance understanding and raise awareness.
Various patient support groups are present at this type of event and it’s a great opportunity to engage with the doctors and explain a bit of what we’re about. Most importantly, it’s getting our name across, with our leaflets and information, so they can take these back to their clinics.
Everyone that I spoke to expressed interest in our work and some were very keen to hear what it’s like living with this condition. I always like to explain the patients’ perspective and they are often very surprised to hear just how challenging it can be for us on a daily basis.
This year no cases on parathyroid conditions were presented but there were two posters which will be published in due course. One was on delusions caused by primary hyperparathyroidism and the other was about the challenges of managing a patient with chronic hypoparathyroidism and severe hypocalcaemia. This discussed whether there was a rationale in using recombinant human parathyroid hormone to treat this patient. The doctor was very interested to talk to me to understand my personal experiences of using the drug and those of other members of our group.
These sorts of conversations are invaluable and the main reason for attending these events. Educating doctors about the patient perspective is so important, as the knowledge imparted can be used to help others with this rare and challenging condition.
Jane Compton
Parathyroid UK Support Team
March 2023
