The Patient Is In: How Co-Created Education Is Revolutionizing Healthcare

RADNOR, Pa. – June 18, 2026 – In the world of medical education, content has historically flowed in one direction: from expert clinicians to learners. But a recent Gold Award winner at the 2026 Spring Digital Health Awards® is challenging that paradigm, suggesting that the most crucial expert voice may have been overlooked: the patient's. CME Outfitters (CMEO), a division of the KnowFully Learning Group, earned the top honor for a resource that didn't just consult patients but embedded them as co-creators, signaling a powerful shift in how healthcare professionals are trained to make life-altering treatment decisions.

The award-winning resource, 'Mission Possible: Choosing the Right Therapy for the Right Patient at the Right Time,' is a web-based tool designed to guide clinicians through the complexities of treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). What sets it apart, and what earned it the prestigious recognition, is its foundational commitment to integrating the patient's lived experience directly into the educational framework.

Beyond the Textbook: The Power of Patient Co-Creation

For decades, medical case studies have been hypothetical constructs, built by physicians to illustrate clinical points. CMEO’s 'Mission Possible' dismantles this tradition. Instead of fictionalized scenarios, the CaseWise™ resource is anchored in the real stories and priorities of people living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

This authenticity was achieved through a deliberate and intensive process of co-creation. Patient advocates Natalie Hayden, founder of 'Lights, Camera, Crohn's,' and Kaylaa' White, a prominent writer and social media ambassador for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, were involved from the project's inception. Their insights, alongside data from a survey of 35 other IBD patients, fundamentally shaped the program's priorities. The result is a tool that elevates patient-defined goals—like easing fatigue, returning to work, or achieving freedom from steroids—to the same level as clinical evidence.

"Evidence tells us what works. Patients tell us what matters. The strongest clinical decisions happen where those two meet," said Shari Tordoff, Executive Vice President at KnowFully Medical Education. "When patients help build education, clinicians come to see the patient perspective as essential to optimal care, not an afterthought. That is what this resource does."

This approach aligns with a growing movement championed by leading accreditation bodies. The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), for example, specifically recognizes providers who include patients as planners and faculty through its 'Accreditation with Commendation' criteria—a distinction CMEO holds. Experts in the field note that this integration leads to more relevant, impactful training that improves not just clinical knowledge, but also communication and empathy.

A New Standard for Digital Health

The Gold Award was bestowed by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC) as part of its Digital Health Awards®, a national competition now in its 28th year. Judged by a panel of health technology professionals, the awards recognize excellence in content, format, and audience impact. Winning is a testament to more than just a good idea; it signifies a high standard of quality, credibility, and usability.

'Mission Possible' provides clinicians with interactive cases, journey-mapping tools, and frameworks for shared goal-setting. It allows them to see how their own decision-making compares not only to expert opinions and peer practices but, crucially, to what patients themselves value. By focusing on a complex condition like IBD, where treatment is a long-term journey with significant quality-of-life implications, the tool demonstrates its value in a real-world, high-stakes context.

This represents a significant evolution from the traditional, top-down educational model. By bringing the patient voice from the margins to the center of the design process, CMEO has created a resource that feels less like a textbook and more like a collaborative partnership, better equipping clinicians for the nuances of modern, patient-centered care.

Navigating Funding and Independence

The 'Mission Possible' initiative was supported by an educational grant from Johnson & Johnson, a common practice in the continuing medical education (CME) industry. While such funding is essential for the development of high-quality resources, it often raises questions about commercial influence.

However, the industry is governed by stringent guidelines designed to mitigate this very issue. The ACCME's 'Standards for Integrity and Independence' mandate a firewall between educational content and commercial interests. As the accredited provider, CME Outfitters is required to retain full control over the content, faculty, and objectives of the program. The funding company, in this case Johnson & Johnson, provides the grant but has no say in the educational material itself. This structure is designed to ensure that the information presented is independent, evidence-based, and free from commercial bias.

For companies like KnowFully Learning Group, which has been actively acquiring and integrating CME providers to build its KnowFully Medical Education division, maintaining this integrity is both an ethical mandate and a business imperative. Adherence to these standards is critical for maintaining accreditation and the trust of the healthcare professionals they serve.

The Business of Better Outcomes

For KnowFully Learning Group, the award validates a core strategic bet: that investing in innovative, high-integrity educational models is good business. By pioneering a deeply patient-centric approach, its CME Outfitters division has differentiated itself in a competitive landscape. This model not only creates more effective educational products but also aligns with the broader healthcare trend toward Interprofessional Education (IPE) and value-based care, where collaborative, patient-focused teams are key to improving outcomes.

The success of 'Mission Possible' provides a powerful case study for the entire industry. It demonstrates that integrating the patient voice is not a 'soft' skill or an add-on, but a critical component of developing tools that drive real behavior change in clinicians. As the healthcare industry continues its shift towards shared decision-making and personalized medicine, the innovations pioneered in this award-winning resource may very well become the standard for how the next generation of clinicians learns to care for their patients.