Welcome to the 26th WONCA Europe Virtual Conference Programme Scheduling

Abstract Body

The COVID-19 pandemic forced primary care practices to accommodate digital remote care in order to make healthcare services available to the population. Reports showed that the first months after the start of the pandemic were 140 times higher compared to pre-pandemic visits.

There are many quality and safety issues with that kind of care. I would like to point out one: that is inverse care. The inverse care law states that the availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need of the population served. This is becoming an issue also with digital remote care. Young and technically skilled people use digital remote care more and more often, usually for self-limiting problems, anytime day or night. Family physicians use more and more time to cope with their demands, are at risk of overlooking a serious problem and of providing overtreatment. On the other hand, less time is available for elderly and chronic patients, which can lead to foregone care and undertreatment. If I'm exaggerating a little; there is a danger that health care will be given to those who send a lot of emails and not to those that really need it.

Now, after more than one year of the pandemic, it is becoming clear that digital remote care will stay in our practices even after the pandemic will be over. It is our responsibility to provide evidence about patients’ access, quality of the services provided, clinical outcomes, the effectiveness of the care, and patients’ and providers’ expectations and experiences. We need to develop new models of care with clearly defined situations that can be managed remotely, but would still follow six main quality domains: safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient-centredness.

Abstract Body

As part of the WONCA Europe Open Session, Nick will speak about how VdGM has adapted and grown through the COVID pandemic.

Abstract Body

The health care system and its patients deserve a strong and well-trained GP/FM workforce. The pandemic is weighing heavily on this workforce and their training. At all educational levels (BME, ST, CME), challenges arose.

Clearly, education must be better prepared for a pandemic, both as regards required competences and as regards learning- and assessment methods. People need to stay in touch with peers, teachers and trainers. Attention should be paid to the feeling of being overburdened. Trainees should be encouraged to take responsibility for learning processes. Finally, much attention must be paid to job satisfaction and well-being.

But no challenges without opportunities. Learning new competencies should be encouraged, e.g. pandemic-related competencies, organizational skills and teleconsulting. The development of a toolbox for learning/evaluation with new and creative tools can lead to revised curricula to prepare young GPs for a new future. Networks and collaborations should be broadened, so trainees and trainers feel to be supported. This empowerment makes people taking control of their own growth. Collaboration with public health and secondary care in training situations should be strengthened. Finally, the power of a strong learning environment with caring networks, a place for vulnerability and humanity is confirmed.

Despite this crisis, insights have been gained and the entire education system learns from the necessary changes. Attention to good practices will enable (European) countries to support each other. We must believe in new opportunities so that our current educational practices improve, our GP/FM workforce becomes stronger and patients get the care they deserve.

Abstract Body

Protecting human health in pandemics required rapid scientific responses to many research questions. Principles of open science have proven important for a higher quality of research. EGPRN facilitated collaboration in research by its networking capacities.