Educazione terapeutica del paziente (ETP) : le sfide del futuro

Abstract : In the near future TPE will be influenced by the growing aging of the population and the increasing number of polipathological patients, by the necessary involvement of family members and caregivers in the management of the disease and the treatment, by the multicultural migratory phenomenon, by the presence of a part of population with low health literacy, by the incessant biomedical progress, by a widespread use of internet related objects and new distance communication tools, by a changed organization of the health care system. The graduate and continuing education of health professionals will have to facilitate the mastery of skills appropriate to foster the development of this practice, now considered as an integral part of chronic patients’ care.