Find here on flickr PHOTOS from the WONCA Europe 2019 Conference.
30/06/2019
Thanks to all participants for making WONCA Conference 2019 a success! We would also like to thank to all the active participants for contribution on WONCA 2019. See the Video Spot from WONCA 2019 on the left side. See also the WONCA 2019 Conference statistics and Legacy / Statement below. Photos from the Conference will be released soon.
Summary WONCA Europe Conference 2019 Statistics
Click the picture for download the presentation
Click the picture for download the presentation
Legacy / Statement
The Human Side of Medicine
Statement of WONCA Europe Conference 2019, Bratislava
Learning what it's like to be a patient and what it's like to be a physician
As family doctors, we become intimately involved in the life of the families we provide care for. There is an element of emotion to every interaction with our patients – sadness, joy, anger, denial, frustration, acceptance, hope or amazement. Often, we suppress these feelings as we go through our busy days. But occasionally, we are touched deep within, and forced to experience the realities of life and loss. In the practices of family doctors across our region, an increasing amount of time is spent in front of computers. As a result of policies, the need to record and to render information accessible to several parties, and the transition to digitalised reporting, the work of family doctors revolves significantly around screens rather than on the side of the patient. Another troublesome evolution takes place as commercial interests and the continuous high investment in specialised secondary and tertiary care contrasts the general acceptance among stakeholders that primary care is the optimum way to deliver efficient and effective healthcare.
Under these circumstances, and while we strive to provide the best quality and safe care, errors and adverse events can happen. Family doctors are only humans and the experience can be humbling and painful.
How can we ensure our digital tasks provide value to whom it really matters: the patient? In our times of intense scientific research and technological change, the human side of medicine is becoming more and more important.
The human side is of profound value to patients and physicians alike.
In the conclusion of the 24th WONCA Europe Conference, we acknowledge that family doctors must work on human and personal lifelong relations with their patients. Fostering open relationships and investing more time with the patients help family doctors increase the quality of prevention and care.
To cultivate these crucial elements, we should:
- establish a close collaboration with governments, policy-makers and non-governmental organisations, to promote a better understanding of the nature and core services of family doctors and their central role in primary health care, and increase the human resources where necessary;
- work closer with educational institutions and current and future students of medicine;
- continue taking care of and comforting our patients by tailoring treatment and avoiding over-diagnosis and over-treatment, as well as under-diagnosis and under-treatment;
- develop an action plan and collaborate with all parties to improve the conditions of work of the primary health care workforce to ensure their social and mental wellbeing.
Dear Colleagues,On behalf of the Slovak Society of General Practice it´s my honour and pleasure to invite you to the 24th WONCA Europe Conference, which will be held on the 26-29th June 2019 in Bratislava.
In these times of intense scientific research and technological changes, the human side of medicine is becoming more and more important. Therefore the main theme of our conference became “General practice - the Human Side of Medicine“. We believe that family doctors have to work on human and personal lifelong relations with their patients. More open relationship helps family doctors to increase the quality of prevention and care. To take care of our patients is more than just to diagnose them and to treat them. It also means tailoring the diagnostic process and treatment to the needs of our patients, avoiding overdiagnosing and overtreatment. Health and happiness can´t be experienced individually, alone, but in a healthy and happy human society only.
The Scientific Committee has been preparing an exciting programme based on original abstracts and contributions from leading international scientific networks and special interest groups recognised by WONCA. We also offer interactive discussions between Slovak patient’s organisations and WONCA conference participants.
Slovakia is known as the heart of Europe and Bratislava is the capital. It´s a small, safe and cosy city with a conference venue located right in the centre. The conference venue is situated between the historical city centre and the river Danube (in many countries known as river Donau). The conference venue consists of 3 buildings around one square - Slovak National Theatre, Sheraton hotel and Cinema City - everything within short walking distance (2 minutes as a maximum). We´re connecting education, history, nature and entertainment together at one place.
Bratislava is ready to host the conference and we are looking forward to seeing you on the 26-29th June 2019.
Save this date into your calendar for WONCA Bratislava.
Michaela Macháčová (Slovakia)
President WONCA Europe Conference 2019
Bratislava, Slovakia
Sheraton Bratislava Hotel
Bratislava, Slovakia
Cinema City Eurovea
Bratislava, Slovakia