The document discusses patients' involvement in ethics committees in Austria. It describes the composition of ethics committees in Austria, which includes medical experts from different disciplines, a nursing staff member, pharmacist, person with ethical expertise, lawyer, statistician, patient advocacy organization representative, disability organization representative, and senior citizen representative. It then discusses the potential roles patients could play, including evaluating specific studies and assessing risk/burden, as well as providing a general patient perspective to strengthen the committee's position. Possible ways of collaboration are external review or participation in committee meetings either by a patient with the specific disease being studied or a "generic" patient representing overall patient views.