Urologists from around the world congregated at the 39th Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology (EAU), which took place in Paris, France, between 5 and 8 April 2024. In the Olympic host city, the Olympian efforts of clinicians and researchers in the field to improve knowledge and understanding and, ultimately, patient outcomes were evident around the convention centre.

Day 1 of the conference was a dedicated ‘Patient Day’, the second edition of this thematic day after a successful inauguration in 2023. This day provides a platform for health-care professionals and patient advocates to share their perspectives and experiences. Topics covered included the importance of nutrition for patients with cancer, the importance of partnering with patients with penile cancer to obtain data, the burden of and lack of guidelines for inflammatory bladder diseases and the use of digital technology and data-driven shared decision-making. The emerging theme from every session was shared decision-making, highlighting the importance of this aspect of patient care.