Ulrike Bauer

What is your personal motivation to work for Corience?

I started working with CHD patients when I was still in medical school. It made me realize that the most important thing a doctor should do is to talk to his patients and make sure they understand the complexities of the ailment and how to adapt to the heart defect. Doctors need to show a real interest in the patient’s questions and concerns and explain everything in terms that he or she understands. So from that early time on, I dedicated my time and energy to patient information and empowerment. My work in Corience is another logical step towards that goal.

When did you decide to start working for a CHD organisation?

Working as a doctor with congenital heart defects, I soon learned that there was hardly any organised data on this ailment. That’s why we initiated the Competence Network for Congenital Heart Defects and the National Register in Germany. The database allows us to track the patient’s development and follow the course of their treatments. We want to add to the knowledge of CHD and make this knowledge available to medical research and practice. Yet we do not only include the perspective of medical professionals, but also the patients’. The result is patient-oriented, adequate care that includes both medical aspects and the patient’s psychosocial situation. It is an integrative approach that makes for a better quality of life for CHD patients and their families.

How did the idea of Corience develop?

The main focus of the Competence Network and the National Register is on research. We could only indirectly contribute to the communication with patients and their families. That remained the task of parent and patient organisations. We saw the initiative by the European government as a great chance to play an active part in patient communication, sharing our knowledge and experience with those affected. We applied for the program, got accepted, and that was the birth of Corience.

Are there any unusual aspects about your life you’d like to share?

If you want a project to succeed, you need to believe in it and fully commit yourself. Tenacity and persistence are the key factors for success. I guess that is the reason why I enjoy sports that demand the same qualities. Running marathons pushes me to my limits and gives me a strong feeling of accomplishment. That’s the greatest reward, and the same thing is true for my job.