EURIPA and EGPRN are hosting their first joint meeting in Attard, Malta, from 17–20 October 2013. The title of the joint conference is: ‘Research into different contexts in general practice/family medicine: rural versus urban perspectives.’
EURIPA is holding a series of annual Rural Health Fora, which are in turn addressing the key interests of Wonca Europe. This 4th Rural Health Forum is to focus on research. Interest in rural health and rural practice has developed across Europe in recent years, but there remains a low level of published research on rural health in Europe. This may be due to lack of political will and interest or lack of funding, but also as rural practitioners are remote from the large urban centres of excellence it is more challenging to get rural clinicians involved in research.
EURIPA has established a research stream focussing on the development of research in rural and remote health and health care, and EGPRN represents the research interests in Wonca Europe. As a result, this innovative joint event is about learning from each other. There will be opportunities for rural clinicians to learn about research methodology, especially as applied to rural settings but also for other clinicians to learn about the challenges of rural practice including rural proofing.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME
The scientific programme will be exciting, with input for the first time from two organizations, offering a unique blend of research and rural expertise. Keynote speakers with links to both organizations will give the meeting an extra dimension. There will be parallel sessions so that each organization is able to address its own themes but also a joint one day conference day. Poster walks will enable a wide range of research activities to be highlighted.
WORKSHOPS
EURIPA plans to hold workshops to disseminate and further develop its current research activities around:
Rural medical education: a focus on content and methods
Patient safety: a focus on methods in assessing and reporting
Out of hours in the rural health care setting: a focus on research methods
Reporting rural health care research: a focus on content and research methods.
REGISTER!
The business meetings and social events for the two networks will be parallel and together as appropriate. A new approach to working together! If you are a rural family doctor and have always wanted to do some research in your practice or you have been doing some research and would like to take it further and tell others about your findings, this is your opportunity! Come and help make this 4th Rural Health Forum a success. More information is available on the EURIPA web site at http://www.euripa.org together with the call for abstracts.