Our Story
The Doctor Patient Forum, founded by Claudia A. Merandi and Bev C. Schechtman, leverages expertise in healthcare education, digital influence, and advocacy to drive meaningful change.
- Claudia A. Merandi – Advocate and educator whose efforts led to a Rhode Island law protecting pain management access, and whose audience has grown exponentially since 2016 as she continues to expose systemic harms faced by patients and providers.
- Bev C. Schechtman – Researcher, advocate, and educator who exposes the harms of opioid reduction policies and surveillance tools like PDMPs and NarxCare, and empowers patients with the tools and knowledge to navigate today’s healthcare system amid the opioid reduction movement.
About The Doctor Patient Forum
The Doctor Patient Forum helps researchers, healthcare professionals, and organizations connect with the right audiences to drive change. While The Doctor Patient Forum (DPF) focuses on patient advocacy, The Doctor Patient Forum amplifies the voices of professionals and organizations, ensuring their work gains visibility and impact.
Our expertise spans chronic pain, rare diseases, and complex medical conditions, with a focus on exposing harmful opioid reduction policies and unregulated health information technology like NarxCare and PDMP risk scores that restrict care and mislabel patients.
As recognized thought leaders, Claudia and Bev have:
- Been featured on top-tier media and advocacy platforms.
- Built a highly engaged community of 500,000+ followers.
- Driven over 250,000 visits to their website and Patreon in under two years.
Through The Doctor Patient Forum, we help professionals, researchers, and organizations expand their reach, increase engagement, and connect with the right audience to create meaningful change.
How We Help
We help researchers, medical professionals, legal teams, and organizations connect with the right audience—whether for studies, brand growth, case awareness, or policy reform.
- Researchers – Find hard-to-reach study participants and increase engagement.
- Medical Professionals – Expand influence and share expertise.
- Legal Teams & Organizations – Raise awareness for lawsuits, policy initiatives, and advocacy campaigns.
- Strategic Social Media Marketing & Brand Growth
- Expert Research & Policy Consulting
- Targeted Promotion for Health Studies & Legal Initiatives
- Educational Presentations & Speaking Engagements
Meet the Team – Bios of Claudia & Bev
Claudia A. Merandi
In 2017, Claudia founded the “Don’t Punish Pain Rally Organization,” a grassroots movement that has grown into a global network with over 20,000 advocates across the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK. Through this initiative, she educates policymakers, medical professionals, and the public on the unintended consequences of restrictive opioid prescribing guidelines, emphasizing the need for balanced and compassionate pain management.
She also works closely with healthcare providers and patients who have been unjustly targeted by regulatory agencies, advocating for fair policies and transparency in medical decision-making.
Claudia is a powerful digital advocate and influencer, using her large, engaged social media following to expose false healthcare narratives, challenge misinformation, and amplify patient voices.
- Regular Podcast with DPF & Monthly Live Feeds – Covering the latest in healthcare policy, patient rights, and advocacy strategies.
- Daily TikToks – Educating patients and providers, exposing false narratives, and offering actionable tools and tips to help patients navigate the healthcare system.
- Targeted Digital Outreach – Engaging policymakers, legal experts, and advocacy groups to drive change.
Beyond advocacy, Claudia is also a dedicated fitness competitor with a passion for health and wellness. Despite living with Crohn’s Disease, she remains committed to strength training, nutrition, and overall wellness, proving that it is possible to live life to the fullest regardless of illness. Her discipline, resilience, and commitment to health serve as an inspiration to others facing chronic conditions.
Bev C. Schechtman
Bev C. Schechtman is a researcher, educator, and chronic pain patient advocate who has navigated life with Crohn’s Disease and Psoriatic Arthritis for over two decades. Raised in northern New Jersey, she has called the Raleigh, North Carolina area home since 2009.
In addition to her healthcare education work, Bev is a fierce advocate for survivors of childhood abuse, working to raise awareness and support those affected by trauma.
Bev’s commitment to patient rights and medical education began in 2017, when she was hospitalized for kidney stones and denied adequate and compassionate treatment due to the rigid application of risk tools. This traumatic experience opened her eyes to the systemic discrimination faced by pain patients and led her to connect with Claudia A. Merandi. Together, they co-founded the Don’t Punish Pain Rally Organization, which has since grown into an international movement educating the public, medical professionals, and policymakers about the consequences of harmful prescribing restrictions.
Bev is actively engaged in in-depth research and policy analysis, focusing on:
- Investigating healthcare policies that disproportionately harm vulnerable patient populations.
- Analyzing trends in opioid reduction efforts and their unintended impact on pain patients
- Educating medical professionals and lawmakers on the dangers of rigid prescribing restrictions
- Examining the harms caused by Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and the lack of regulation and transparency surrounding PDMP risk scores like NarxCare.
- Providing education and resources to help pain patients and survivors navigate medical discrimination. Her expertise has led to collaborations with top researchers and medical educators, including:
- Invited to collaborate on Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) to educate healthcare professionals on the unintended consequences of opioid policies.
- Worked alongside prominent scientists in the UNC healthcare system, contributing to discussions on healthcare reform, patient-centered care, and evidence-based prescribing practices.
Her work has also been featured in prominent media outlets, including:
- The Guardian
- Wired
- National Public Radio (NPR)
- Truthout
- Pallimed – A leading forum on hospice and palliative care
Additionally, her insights have been published in a respected medical journal, further underscoring her expertise and commitment to advancing patient education and ethical healthcare practices.
As a key voice in patient education, Bev uses social media, podcasting, and media outreach to educate and mobilize thousands of people worldwide. She plays a crucial role in digital education and outreach through:
- Newsletters & Advocacy Alerts – Keeping the public informed on policy changes and healthcare regulations.
- Podcasts & Interviews – Discussing patient rights, policy reform, and medical ethics.
- Digital Resources – Informational guides to help patients navigate medical discrimination and denial of care.
Our Mission & Values
At The Doctor Patient Forum, we turn influence into action, connecting researchers, healthcare professionals, and legal advocates with the right audiences. With 500,000+ engaged followers, we specialize in targeted outreach, study recruitment, business growth, expert consulting, and amplifying critical lawsuits to drive real change.
- Authenticity & Ethical Influence
- Education Over Clickbait
- Empowerment Through Knowledge
- Results That Matter
DPF Brochure
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