Become a Merakoi Patient Expert

Use your lived experience to shape a future where healthcare truly reflects patient realities. At Merakoi, we collaborate with patient experts worldwide to help life science and healthcare teams make better, more human decisions.

Join our global community of 3,000+ Patient Experts across 40+ conditions — and see how your voice creates measurable impact.
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What you’ll be involved in

Project Type
Collect insights
Co-design solutions
Create content
Collect Insights
Share your perspective through peer-led interviews, focus groups, or digital discussions that uncover real-world needs and challenges.
Share lived experiences through interviews, focus groups, or surveys that reveal what it’s really like to manage your condition day to day.
Collaborate with other patients to identify unmet needs, challenges, and opportunities that traditional research often overlooks.
Help shape research questions so studies and strategies reflect what truly matters to patients, not just what’s convenient to measure
Co-design solutions
Work alongside patient experts and healthcare innovators to design new experiences, materials, and solutions that make care more accessible and empathetic.
Work side by side with healthcare teams to improve clinical materials, apps, or services ensuring they’re clear, accessible, and relevant.
Test and refine prototypes (digital tools, support programs, or trial experiences) before they launch, helping to spot issues early.
Bring a patient lens to every stage of development — from defining priorities to evaluating real-world usability and emotional impact
Create content
Collaborate on authentic stories, educational materials, and tools that communicate health information in clear, human-centered ways.
Co-author or review educational materials such as brochures, websites, and videos that speak in language real people understand.
Share personal stories and insights that humanize science and inspire empathy in healthcare communications and campaigns.
Contribute to awareness and training projects that help professionals, caregivers, and other patients learn from authentic lived experience.

Why collaborate with us

Make a real impact

Your lived experience helps shape programs, communications, and research that improve outcomes and patient wellbeing.

See your voice create change

Every insight contributes to tangible results, from better trial design to more relevant support programs

Connect with other patient experts

Join a diverse global network of people who share your commitment to improving healthcare for everyone.

Get paid for your time

We ensure all contributions are fairly compensated, respecting your time, expertise, and boundaries

How it works?

Step 1 – Sign up and create your profile
Tell us about your condition, background, interests, and what motivates you to collaborate. This helps us understand where your lived experience can make the biggest difference.
Step 2 – Join our community
Follow our LinkedIn page and subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected. You’ll see updates about new projects, hear stories from other Patient Experts, and learn more about how patient voices are shaping healthcare every day.
Step 3 – Wait for the right project match
Our team reviews every profile carefully. We’ll reach out when we find a project that fits your experience, language, and interests. Some matches happen quickly; others may take a little time — patience pays off.
Step 4 – Get invited and briefed
When a project is a good fit, we’ll send you all the details: goals, time commitment, and payment information. You decide if you want to participate. No obligation, no pressure.
Step 5 – Collaborate with our team
Take part in online discussions, workshops, or co-design sessions alongside other Patient Experts and Merakoi facilitators. You’ll always have clear guidance and support from start to finish.
Step 6 – See your impact and get feedback
After the project, we’ll share how your input made a difference. Many Patient Experts say this is the most rewarding part: seeing how their lived experience changes real-world outcomes.
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Frequently asked questions

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What exactly does it mean to be a “Patient Expert”?
Being a Patient Expert means using your real-life experience to make healthcare better. You don’t need to be a scientist or a professional advocate — just someone who’s lived through a health condition and wants to share that perspective.
At Merakoi, you might join small group discussions, review materials made for patients, test digital tools, or help companies understand what living with your condition is really like. You’re treated as an equal partner, and your insights directly shape real decisions and designs.
Do I need any special skills or qualifications?
No special degree or background is required — your lived experience is your expertise.
Before any project begins, we’ll explain what’s involved and offer short orientation sessions if needed. We value clear, honest communication and curiosity much more than formal training. If you’ve ever explained your condition to a friend or given feedback to a healthcare provider, you already have the skills that matter most.
Is Merakoi open to Patient Experts from around the world?
Yes, absolutely! Merakoi is a global network of Patient Experts representing more than 30 nationalities. Our projects take place across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, and we regularly collaborate with people from all over the world.

Our team speaks German, French, Spanish, and Japanese, and we work with local moderators in dozens of other languages — so you’ll always have support if English isn’t your first language.

However, to participate as a patient consultant (in code design projects), you’ll need to be able to read and understand English well enough to review key project materials and the consultancy agreement. This ensures that everything you sign and contribute to is fully transparent and understood.
Can caregivers join too?
Yes, we warmly welcome caregivers, partners, and family members who bring valuable lived experience and insight.
If you’ve supported someone living with a health condition, your perspective can be just as powerful as the patient’s own. Many projects benefit from hearing both sides -- what it’s like to manage care, communicate with healthcare teams, and navigate daily life together.

As long as you have the motivation to share real experiences and the understanding that comes from lived involvement, you can join the Merakoi network and participate as a caregiver expert or partner consultant.
We’ll make sure you’re matched to opportunities where your perspective truly adds value.
How much time does it take to participate?
It depends on the project. Some might take an hour or two (for example, joining an online discussion), while others might stretch over a few weeks if you’re helping co-create or test materials.
We’ll always tell you upfront what to expect — time, tasks, and payment. You decide if it fits your schedule. Many Patient Experts choose a few projects a year; others get involved more often. It’s flexible and entirely up to you.
How does payment work?
We believe your time and insights deserve fair recognition. Every project includes a clearly stated hourly rate or project fee, usually based on local fair-market value guidelines.
Payments are made directly by Merakoi, usually by bank transfer or gift certificate, shortly after your contribution is complete. There are no fees, contracts, or hidden requirements — and you’ll always know in advance what the compensation is before saying yes.
What happens after I share my input?
This is one of the best parts: you actually get to see what happens next.
We’ll follow up to share how your feedback helped shape a project — maybe a new patient brochure, a digital app, or changes in a clinical trial experience. Many of our Patient Experts say this is what makes Merakoi different: you’re not just giving opinions; you’re part of creating something that helps others.
Will my personal or medical information be kept private?
Absolutely. Your privacy and safety come first.
When you join the Merakoi network, we only collect the information we need to match you with the right projects — and it’s stored securely according to strict Swiss and EU data protection standards (GDPR).
Your identity is never shared without your consent, and in many projects you can choose whether to stay anonymous or be credited by name. We also make sure any data used for research or reporting is anonymized and handled ethically.
What does Merakoi expect from Patient Experts?
We ask three simple things:

Be authentic. Share your experiences honestly and respectfully.

Be professional. Treat sessions as you would any collaboration — be on time, prepared, and mindful of confidentiality.

Be curious. Ask questions, challenge ideas, and bring your perspective to the table.
We’ll handle the logistics, communication, and support so you can focus on what you do best — helping shape healthcare through lived experience.
How does Merakoi ensure ethical collaboration?
Every project follows our Code of Conduct, built on fairness, transparency, and respect.
That means:

You are always informed about who you’re working with and why.

You’re compensated fairly for your time.

You have the right to stop participation at any time.

All work is conducted in line with local and international ethical guidelines for patient involvement.
In short: no tokenism, no box-ticking.
Can I say no to a project or step back once I’ve joined?
Of course. You’re in control of your participation at all times.
If something changes — your health, schedule, or comfort level — just let us know. We’ll support you in pausing or stepping back without any pressure. Many of our collaborations are designed to be flexible, because we understand that living with a health condition means some days are harder than others.
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Book a consultation to talk to us about collaborating with patient experts on your project.

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