EFPC 2016 Conference | Crosscutting Informal Care & Professional Primary Care
Welcome
Foreword from EFPC
Welcome to the first EFPC-conference in a Baltic state: “Cross-cutting informal care and primary care”, welcome in the beautify city of Riga, and a special welcome to the young primary care experts, the brand new You&EFPC group!
This 2-days international conference unites people committed to primary care from different backgrounds: informal carers, pharmacists, patients/citizens, general practitioners/family physicians, hospitals, nurses, health insurers, policymakers in order to strengthen the bridge between professional and informal care.
Apart from technological and scientific evolutions, socio-economic developments, with an increasing social health gradient between the rich and the poor, increasing diversity in the populations we serve, there is the undeniable fact that there are more people with chronic conditions and especially with multi-morbidity, presenting multiple problems.
Health systems try to find solutions to this challenge, building health systems that are based on relevance, equity, quality, person- and people centeredness, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and innovation.
Although – at least in policy statements – everybody agrees that the patient is in “the driver’s seat” in the care process, there is still a lot of “top-down” communication between providers and patients, and especially informal caregivers are too often at a side-line when it comes to the development of the health care system.
This conference will take a closer look at how in different settings, regions and countries, informal care interacts with professional primary care, and how this interaction can be improved. Special attention will be given to deprived and vulnerable groups that very often are not supported by “informal caregivers”.
Key-note Speakers
Anda Čakša – Latvian Minister of Health
When we talk about primary health care we always emphasize that it is the basis of the entire health system, refer to Alma – Ata Declaration which is no doubt very essential. However, sometimes we neglect all those little things related to the treatment, diagnosis and surgical procedures. For instance, starting with the colour of the pill, the cosiness of the hospital ward and support and compassion are also crucial factors for the patient’s fast and successful recovery.
Care, selfless work, personal interest and willingness to grow and develop are those things that give the sense of safety in healthcare. And ‘safety’ is one of the key terms in medicine. Moreover, it is very important to provide appropriate and safe treatment as well as to gain patient trust. However, nowadays due to the fast pace of life and insufficient healthcare resources sometimes we do not manage to spend enough time with our patients in order to make them feel safe, understood and heard.
Aigars Miezitis
Mr. Aigars Miezitis (Latvian national) is a lecturer at Riga Stradins University for courses on Health Economics.
He has been a project manager in the National Health Service of Latvia with experience in health economics more than 15 years. The main areas of activities at the National Health Service include improvement of payment methods for health care services in Latvia and eHealth solutions for outpatient care.
His former positions were Head of Department at the Central Statistical bureau of Latvia, Financial director of a hospital, participation in several projects financed by PHARE, World Bank and EU.
He is the Latvian representative in the Primary Health and Prison Health expert group of Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Well-being, and eHealth for Regions Network.
Jovile Vingraite
Jovile Vingraite graduated from Vilnius University Medical Faculty (Lithuania) as a pediatrician and specialized in pediatric gastroenterology. As a doctor pediatric gastroenterologist she worked in public out-patient departments in Vilnius. The work in state institutions started in 2004, in the field of control of legal trade of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and drug precursors. Since 2011 Jovile worked at the Vilnius Territorial Patient Fund (VTPF) being responsible for the medical part of contracts between the VTPF and health care institutions for provision of health care services and payment of their expenses from the budget of Compulsory Health Insurance Fund. At the end of 2015 she started to work at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, Personal Health Care Department in the fields of family medicine, infectious diseases and dermatovenereology.
Andris Bērziņš – Samaritan Association of Latvia
In 1992 Andris Bērziņš founded one of the largest non–governmental organizations in Latvia – Samaritan Association of Latvia, which has been acknowledged as the best NGO and is considered as an example of social entrepreneurship in Latvia. Nowadays Samaritan Association of Latvia employs 700 employees, has 20 departments and are proud to create and fulfil innovative projects in the field of educations, charity and social services at global level. Andris Bērziņš having 23 years of experience of NGO, created most of the LSA services, participant in several governmental and parliamentary working groups, Vice-Chairperson in Social Services Development Council in Ministry of Welfare, have an academic education in law history and economics. A. Bērziņš has a leader charisma, penchant for excellence, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit and his moto is: As long as people will need help, we will seek innovative solutions to meet their needs.
Stecy Yghemonos – Executive Director of Eurocarers
Stecy Yghemonos is the Executive Director of Eurocarers, the European association working for carers. A trained journalist, Stecy is an EU policy and communication specialist. Over the last 12 years he has acted as a Project, Advocacy and Communications Director in organisations promoting and defending the reinforcement and harmonisation of domestic and foreign EU policies in the fields of press freedom, social justice, children’s rights, development, health, education and vocational training. Together with the Eurocarers Steering Committee he sets the direction of the Eurocarers network, develops and oversees the implementation of the action plan. He is also responsible for the Eurocarers secretariat in Brussels as well as for its activities in the fields of network development, project management, fund raising, policy influencing, advocacy and communications.
Committees
Scientific Committee
Prof Jan De Maeseneer, EFPC chair
Prof Peter Groenewegen, EFPC Executive Board Member
Aigars Miezitis, EFPC Advisory Board Member
Prof Arnoldas Jurgutis, EFPC Advisory Board Member
Prof Sally Kendall, EFPC Advisory Board Member
Andre Biscaia, USF AN
Stecy Yghemonos, EuroCarers
Inga Millere, Riga Stradins University
Liana Deklava, Riga Stradins University
Soemitro Poerbodipoero, HvA
Charlotte Hazewinkel, EFPC WG You&EFPC
Diederik Aarendonk, EFPC coordinator
Organising Commitee
Marianne Van Lancker, European Forum for Primary Care
Diederik Aarendonk, European Forum for Primary Care
Annelien Boutens, European Forum for Primary Care
Aigars Miezitis, Riga Stradins University
Marika Petrovica, Ministry of Health, Latvia
Daiga Behmane, Riga Stradins University