|
Frost & Sullivan, who presented the award to Lone
Hummelshoj (Publisher and Editor-in-chief) at a banquet
yesterday, acknowledges the outstanding work of Endometriosis.org
in increasing awareness levels, giving priority to endometriosis,
and empowering sufferers to participate fully
in making decisions about their treatment options.
Says Paljit Sohal, Frost & Sullivan
Programme Leader, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Healthcare: “The Frost & Sullivan Award for
Customer Service Innovation is presented each year to
the organisation that has demonstrated excellence
in customer service innovation within the industry.
The recipient company will have developed and significantly
affected the end-user services systems that set unprecedented
standards for end-user interaction, timely response,
and attention to end-user needs.
Endometriosis.org effectively
and efficiently responds to the needs of the end users
in the field of endometriosis. Furthermore,
through Lone Hummelshoj, it has become the 'voice of
the end-user' at international conferences and seminars
in the field of gynaecology by highlighting the patients'
perspectives of endometriosis and their health care
needs”, said Sohal.
Lone Hummelshoj responded: “Everyone
at Endometriosis.org is thrilled and grateful for this
award. By emphasising the work of Endometriosis.org,
Frost & Sullivan recognises the importance of endometriosis
as a major women’s health care problem, which
needs to be acknowledged as a disease that can have
a profound effect on quality of life and fertility,
as well as a significant personal and socio-economic
impact.
Our vision is a future in which
millions of women are not prevented from fulfilling
their dreams of completing their education, maintaining
a career and having children because of a disease, which
could be prevented if only adequate funding for research
was available.
Our goal is that the next generation
of women will not be at risk of having their lives compromised
by endometriosis.
Our hope is that this award
will contribute to a recognition by all stake holders
that we need to work together to beat this devastating
disease”, said Hummelshoj.
There are approximately 16 million
women in the European Union alone with endometriosis,
and millions more world wide. However, only a small
fraction seeks medical care because there is so little
public awareness of endometriosis. This lack of awareness
is one of the major challenges facing stake holders
in the endometriosis therapy market.
By bestowing its 2007 Customer Service
Innovation Award to Endometriosis.org, Frost & Sullivan
highlight the organisation’s work as a global
forum for all stakeholders in this market, including
patients, physicians, scientists, government agencies,
manufacturers, insurance companies, etc. According to
Ms Sohal “The model followed by Endometriosis.org
in increasing awareness levels, with awareness being
the key for the growth of this market, and giving priority
to endometriosis has been very innovative and effective.”
Lone Hummelshoj paid tribute to her
team: “Endometriosis.org is a team
effort, with a shared a vision to empower women
with endometriosis through information and knowledge
to enable them to make informed choices about their
treatments.
We provide up-to-date news for all
stake holders in the field – because we need to
stay connected! At the core of the team is Ros Wood,
a writer who has that amazing knack of transforming
a scientific article so that everyone can understand
it; Brendan Booth, web-master extraordinaire; freelance
writers Eddie Ma and Ellen Johnson (the latter deceased
in November 2007); and director of media services, Mette
Sandemann. Internationally acknowledged specialists
in the field of endometriosis complete the team by peer
reviewing what we publish to ensure that it is evidence
based.”
Endometriosis.org is a web-based organisation
founded in March 2005 by Lone Hummelshoj. The web-site,
which now has more than 3,500 visitors a day, has significantly
increased the educated decision making of those suffering
from endometriosis, and has been accredited by the Health
On the Net Foundation.
Endometriosis.org provides in-depth
and peer-reviewed scientific information about endometriosis.
It has also played a pivotal role in linking 35
national endometriosis support organisations to
provide a global voice for women with the disease.
|
