In this episode, Gözde Susuzlu, Project Coordinator, and Estefania Cordero, Project Communications Officer, at the European Patients Forum discuss the rise of patient involvement in healthcare research, the need for support and digital literacy, and the role of such programmes as EHDEN. They explore the DataSavesLives initiative and the wider European Health Data Space (EHDS) development, finishing with the insights derived from the recent EPF survey conducted on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients and patient organisation. The EPF 2021 Congress will be held virtually 26-29 October, more information here.