New EFPC position papers
The world is changing and so are health services. We are all, as professionals and citizens, moving away from situations, ways of life and types of care we have previously known: we are crossing borders, professionally and personally. This general change is reflected in changes more specific to Primary Care. What was once done in hospitals is now often delivered in primary care. Nurses, physiotherapists, health care assistants and many other health workers, who cooperate to improve health standards, may now solve what doctors performed previously. Where citizens were once passive subjects in health services, they now must be considered as main actors, either as patients or as members of their community. Professionals need to work with each other for better education, re organization of work and resolution of our populations’ problems. Interprofessional teams are establishing themselves and increasing in many countries. Interprofessional education is needed to help improve teamwork and an opportunity for their successful future development. To stay tuned with these important issues, the European Forum for Primary Care will start developing Position Papers on the following topics:
Interprofessional Education for Primary Care professionals
Continuity in Primary Care and the impact on quality
As usual, these Position Papers will be published in Quality in Primary Care, for which a subscription from 2012 onwards will be included in an EFPC membership.
2012 Conference in Göteborg
At the same time, social and personal drivers move us all across borders. Many patients come from difficult or dire situations and need help in their new surroundings. Others move for pleasure, but might need support to establish health provision. Than it is we, health professionals, who are moving for better opportunities to learn, train and work.
The European Primary Care Forum 2012 conference in Göteborg also wants to cross borders to analyse these developments. It invites all Primary Care experts in Europe to come up with their research results, policy developments and best practices. We want to share knowledge and experiences to improve your and our daily work. Come and cross borders with us, send your submissions for research abstracts, policy debatable posters, and practice multi-media presentations. Information at: http://www.nivel.nl/oc2/page.asp?PageID = 15154; deadline for submission: 15 April 2012.
Towards a new European definition for primary care (Wonca Europe 2012)
Finally, to cross professional borders, the EFPC and the WHO Collaborating Centres for Primary Care (University of Ghent, University of Zagreb and the NIVEL institute in Utrecht) are planning a re-orientation on Primary Care with all professionals active in Primary Care, including Family Doctors/General Practitioners, resulting in a new European definition for Primary Care. If funding will be provided, the launch of this work is planned for the Wonca Europe regional conference in Vienna, Austria, 4–7 July 2012 and the results might be presented at the Wonca Europe Regional Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, 2–5 July 2014. We will keep you posted about these fascinating works and hope to get your input at the numerous occasions (live meetings but also virtual meetings and via social media discussion groups) we are planning to discuss the topics with you and your colleagues.