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AB - From the President If you have not already done so, now is the time to register for the 16th WONCA World Conference and also the time to make your booking for travel to Durban, South Africa. WONCA 2001 promises to be the best WONCA World Conference yet. The dates are 13–17 May 2001 but I am sure that you will want either to come early or stay late to experience the natural beauty of this area and to visit one of the wild game parks for which South Africa is famous. Durban is a city of more than one million population and is known as a holiday paradise. It is a coastal city on the Indian Ocean with beautiful beaches. Many of the hotels are on the beaches which are just a short distance from the outstanding convention hall where the conference will be held. The theme of the conference is ‘Family Medicine —The Leading Edge’. There will be keynote addresses, plenary sessions, small group sessions and many posters and there will be a rural practice day. Most of the WONCA Working Parties and Special Interest Groups will meet in Durban giving you an opportunity to participate in these meetings. A very special event will be the Global Call for Action on Tobacco Cessation. So you can see that there certainly will be something for everyone during this conference. The social programme that the host organizing committee have put together will ensure that your stay in Durban will be unforgettable. There is also a programme for accompanying persons that will be interesting and informative. Perhaps the most important aspect of an International Conference such as this is the opportunity to meet old friends and make new friends from around the world. It is an opportunity to discuss issues in Family Medicine with others and to network with colleagues from around the world. With the Internet it is now much easier to stay in contact with colleagues in virtually all parts of the world. So now that I have convinced you to come to Durban, I personally look forward to meeting each of you during the conference. Robert W Higgins, MD From the CEO The WONCA family ‘Family’ is central in WONCA. As family doctors we interact with families every day. Every patient we see comes from a family and lives within a family or similar social grouping. WONCA itself is a family that grows in strength with each WONCA meeting. Last July, at a restaurant in the woods outside Vienna at an evening arranged for WONCA by the organizing committee of the Vienna Conference, our table was marked ‘Family WONCA’. That sign seemed to encapsulate the WONCA spirit of a family of doctors from many nations with a mission to improve the health of the peoples and the families of the world. The WONCA family began in the sixties as a handful of general practitioner organizations that met at several world meetings to create a world organization, and in 1972 that became a reality at the 5th World Conference on General Practice in Melbourne. But it was not until WONCA Council met in Israel in 1989 that the WONCA ‘family’ crystallized. On an escarpment high above the Mediterranean at Zichron Yaaícov in Northern Israel, for the first time Council met in an isolated setting at a guest house that was occupied by Council alone. Although there was a nearby village and scenic countryside that Council members visited as a group, most of the two days the Council met were spent at the guest house, meeting together, eating together, relaxing together. That meeting, organized by the Israel Association of Family Physicians, created cohesion within the WONCA family not seen previously. The idea of an isolated venue for meetings of WONCA Council was continued at the 1992 Vancouver Conference when the host, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, arranged for Council to meet prior to the Conference at the mountain resort of Whistler, two hours by road from Vancouver. Also meeting there was the CFPC Board of Directors. The two groups intermingled and had a joint dinner. The WONCA family grew. Although finding an ‘isolated’ venue for the 1995 meeting of Council in the small territory of Hong Kong was more difficult, the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians located a new hotel in the New Territories that was very suitable, and by Hong Kong standards, isolated. Council enjoyed being together away from the hubbub of central Hong Kong, and mingled together at the social occasions as well as during the meetings of Regional Councils and World Council. The WONCA family consolidated. In 1998 in Ireland, the meetings were held in County Kerry, remote from Dublin. Set in a lakeside hotel on the outskirts of Killarney, Council members met in a relaxed rural setting, and enjoyed being together at several evening outdoor adventures. They stayed together after the meeting for the three-hour train journey to Dublin for the World Conference. At this meeting, arranged by the Irish College of General Practitioners, for the first time Council extended the duration of its meeting to two and a half days of which over a full day was spent in small group discussion. This was so well accepted that it was decided to include group discussion in the 2001 meeting of Council. The WONCA family strengthened still more. The host of the 2001 meetings of Regional Councils and World Council, the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care, has continued the move to isolated venues by choosing Alpine Heath Resort and Conference Village in KwaZulu-Natal Province. Set in the Drakensberg Mountains three hours by road west of Durban, Alpine Heath is a purpose built conference centre with a large room able to accommodate the members of Council, which now number over 100, smaller rooms suitable for meetings of the larger Regional Councils, Asia Pacific and WONCA Region Europe, and many still smaller rooms for small group discussions. Accommodation is in 100 separate chalets surrounding the central complex. The camaraderie that will be generated by the drive together between Durban and Alpine Heath, the meetings, and the after hours events, will fortify further the strong family bonds that now hold the WONCA organization together. Killarney goals One of the important items on the Council agenda at Alpine Heath will be the assessment of progress towards the implementation of the six goals set for the WONCA family at the 1998 Council meeting in Killarney. A survey will be circulated beforehand to ascertain what has been achieved by Member Organizations in this regard, and the results collated for the Council meeting. This will form the basis for developing goals for the WONCA family for the 2002 to 2004 triennium. The Killarney goals were: Develop family practice training and services in areas of greatest need, in the spirit of equity. In the context of family medicine, to establish a system whereby developed countries can assist underdeveloped countries with specific projects. Promote the role of the family doctor. WONCA should strongly promote the family doctor as the leader of the primary health care team. Facilitate education in general practice/family medicine. WONCA should take a more direct role in continuing medical education for family doctors. Secure adequate funding for WONCA. Increase WONCA's income by exploring additional sources of revenue. Continue to develop effective working relationships at all levels within the evolving structure of WONCA. WONCA should improve its communication with the member organizations in each country. Encourage research on the theoretical basis and clinical content of general practice/family medicine. WONCA should do more to encourage researchers in family medicine. The WHO family WONCA now has a close relationship with another family, the World Health Organization family. Although WHO has a primary public health focus, now that it is aware of the need for the re-integration of clinical medicine and public health, WONCA and WHO have moved still closer together. Because of the unfortunate separation of medical schools and schools of public health during the early part of the last century, there has been a void between clinical medicine and public health that has been to the detriment of both. Kerr White has been lamenting this for years. Now WHO has initiated a movement titled ‘Towards Unity for Health’ (TUFH) in an attempt at re-integration. The TUFH approach is designed to improve the relevance and efficiency of health service delivery systems through a two-fold process of co-ordination or integration of individual and community health activities for a given population, and the development of productive and sustainable partnerships among key stakeholders such as policy makers, health managers, health professions, academic institutions and communities. WONCA has joined WHO in this effort, and will host a two-day TUFH Consultation immediately after the Durban Conference to ensure that health professions, and family physicians/general practitioners in particular, play a significant role in the implementation of the TUFH approach. The expected outcome is a monograph describing challenges and opportunities for family physicians/general practitioners to be involved in the process of health services delivery system changes through the TUFH approach, and the implementation of TUFH principles in field projects. Recommendations from this meeting will be published and promulgated widely in WONCA and WHO circles. Family bonds give strength As WONCA moves into the new Century, its family cohesion and the strength of its family members will be its prime resource. Wes Fabb CEO WONCA Durban South Africa 13–17 May 2001 Family Medicine: the leading edge, according to the best available evidence There are many reasons for family physicians from all over the globe to visit Durban, South Africa in May 2001. Durban is South Africa's premier, all year holiday resort, with miles of golden beaches lapped by the warm Indian Ocean. It is also the gateway to the game reserves and Drakensberg Mountains that make KwaZulu-Natal a must-see destination. Using the Congress theme, the Scientific Programme will address issues and problems faced daily by family physicians. The United States surgeon general, Dr David Satcher, will open the congress and eminent international experts will address daily plenary sessions. Clinical practice workshops and seminars on disease updates, clinical skills, respiratory medicine, geriatric care, sexually-transmitted diseases, occupational health and more. There is a special track for Women's Health. There is also a special track for Rural and Remote Medicine. There are workshops and seminars on evidence-based care and guideline development. As well as the outstanding Scientific Programme, with everything for the family physician and practice, there is an innovative Accompanying Persons' Programme. This has been specially arranged to both entertain and educate visitors on aspects of South African culture, including its diverse flora and fauna, Zulu culture, the Anglo-Boer and Anglo-Zulu Wars, as well as South Africa's fascinating marine life. The Social Programme promises to be another highlight and includes the Hospitality Evening and a unique Carnival Street market evening, with wonderful food and stalls selling the best of local crafts and culture. The Traditional Dinner will be an unforgettable experience, with the best in South African cuisine and entertainment, so registrants are advised to book early. You can register on the WONCA 2001 web site, where you will find further details of the Congress. The address is http://www.wonca2001.org.za or http://www.wonca2001.org.za Note:See also Future Meetings for further details regarding registration etc. New Editor for WONCA News The WONCA Executive Committee has selected Dr Marc Rivo, an American family doctor with extensive WONCA and medical editor experience, to be Editor of WONCA News following the retirement of Dr David Game who has served WONCA with great distinction for 28 years. The ‘passing of the pen’ will take place during the May 2001 WONCA World Council meeting in Alpine Heath, South Africa, just prior to the World Conference in Durban. An activist in WONCA during the 1990s, Marc has participated in, funded and facilitated a number of strategic initiatives for WONCA, including several key projects with the World Health Organization (WHO). Marc funded and hosted the 1993 International Conference on Education of the Family Physicians in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He helped plan and fund the 1994 joint WHO–WONCA Working Meeting in Ontario, Canada and coedited the historic Working Paper. He helped draft and gain US government support for the historic 1995 World Health Assembly Resolution (48.8) which first recognized the central role of the family doctor in achieving equity, cost-effectiveness and quality in health care. He helped plan, fund and co-author the 1994 World Survey of General and Family Practice. Marc has actively contributed to the last three WONCA World Conferences and has worked closely with many of the WONCA Executive and Council leadership. Marc currently is Project Co-Director of the WHO–WONCA ‘Guide Project‘, an ambitious effort to develop a user-friendly guide and resource directory for the development of family medicine throughout the World. Marc brings to the position extensive writing, editing and publishing experience. He served for seven years as Associate Editor of American Family Physician, the clinical journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). For the past four years, he has been Medical Editor of Family Practice Management, the American Academy of Family Physician's (AAFP) practice management journal. Marc has authored and co-authored more than 50 articles and chapters in peer-reviewed clinical journals, books and other publications, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association and the main journals of the AAFP. Marc has contributed to several significant WONCA publications in the 1990's. He was a participant and contributing author in the 1993 International Conference on the Education of Family Physicians and the 1997 Cambridge Conference on Financing Funding and Health Care Systems. He was coeditor of the historic 1995 WHO–WONCA working paper, Making Medical Practice and Education More Relevant to People's Needs: The Contribution of the Family Doctor, and the WHO-WONCA 1995–1998 Progress Report and 1998–2001 Action Plan. Born in Southern California, Marc completed a joint medical and public health degree from University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley. Following completion of his family medicine residency at Duke University and part-time work as a family doctor in a Washington, DC low-income housing community, he entered full-time medical administration in 1987. Since then, he has had significant and varied executive experiences, including: 5 years as Deputy Administrator for the Washington DC Public Health Department; 4 years as Director of the US federal government's Division of Medicine: and 4 years as Staff Director for the Council on Graduate Medical Education, a national council which advises the US Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the status of the physician workforce and medical education. For the past 4 years, Marc has served as a Regional Medical Director of AvMed Health Plan, a non-profit, health system serving over 300,000 members in the state of Florida. Reflecting on his interest in serving as WONCA News Editor, Marc said, ‘I have a deep appreciation for and desire to learn and write about our wonderful, global multicultural community of family doctors and the people we serve. My parents encouraged me to seek out diverse experiences from a young age in which I learned compassion, tolerance, patience, and service. This philosophy has served in many ways as my life's compass, guiding my educational, personal and professional journey.’ Marc's perspectives were shaped by working in a kibbutz (ie community farm) and learning Hebrew in Israel; living and working in a Northern California Indian Reservation; living with a family and taking Spanish in Guatemala; and providing health care (and love) to abandoned street children in Bogota, Colombia. ‘I was fortunate to find a philosophical soul-mate in my wife, Karen, a nurse with a similar education in medicine and public health and a keen interest in learning about other peoples and cultures‘, Marc stated. In fact, they celebrated their marriage with a three-month ‘honeymoon’ backpacking trek through 13 Central American, South American and Caribbean countries. Upon returning, they settled in Washington, DC, where they both worked in a diverse Hispanic and African-American community as a nurse and family physician. After 10 years in Washington, DC and the birth of their two daughters, Jessica (now 13) and Julie (10), Karen and Marc moved their family to Miami, Florida, a truly international community of people from 170 different countries who speak more than 50 different languages. Marc is grateful for the opportunity to serve as WONCA News Editor. ‘I truly believe that the family doctor can best help meet people's needs in every country in the world.’ Looking to the future, Marc shared his desire ‘to carry on in David's outstanding tradition as WONCA News Editor by continuing to chronicle the inspiring, individual stories of family doctors as well as our collective efforts to make a difference in the health of individuals, families and communities. I hope that WONCA News will continue to serve as a valuable resource for family doctors around the world.’ Editor's note:Marc may be contacted at: Marc L Rivo, MD 4566 Prairie Avenue Miami Beach, Florida 33140, USA Fax: 1 305-671-4712 or 1 305-671-770 Email: marcrivo@aol.com WONCA International Classification Committee—European Activities Dr Marc Jamoulle reports on activities of the WONCA International Classification Committee (WICC) in Europe Namur, CISP workshop CISP is the French translation of The International Classification in Primary Care (ICPC). A recent workshop of The CISP-Club in Namur, the capital of French speaking region of Belgium, was a great success with 28 participants from 5 countries. Dr Marius Marginean of Romania has presented the ‘ICPC2000’ project (100 GPs, 100 computers in a sentinel network in Romania). The first phase of training has been completed and the second phase of collecting data should begin January 2001. Dr Mohamed Besbes of the Department of Community Practice of Monastir, has announced that CISP is included in the vocational training for general practitioners in Tunisia. CISP has been chosen by UNICEF as the core classification for paper based (and computer based) medical records in Tunisia. Other general practitioners in Sousse (another region of Tunisia) are considering a CISP general practitioner based association in order to carry out a CISP based prospective study. ICPC in Belgium Consensus has been reached between the various protagonists of the Belgian Electronic Medical Records (EMR)s to use ICPC-2/ICD-10 as the core classifications. The administration of health has agreed to conclude a contract with WONCA for ICPC licence. ICPC in Switzerland On November 10, I was invited to present ICPC in Bern, in an official Classification symposium organised by ‘Patient Classification System Switzerland’ (PCSS), a special Committee of the Switzerland association of public health. The morning was dedicated to stationary classifications (the various DRGs) and the afternoon was dedicated to ambulatory care classifications (ICPC and Braun). Dr Laura Pult, of the medical informatics department of Geneva hospitals has presented an excellent study on the use of ICPC in the Medical outpatient clinic of the Geneva Hospital (Med Hyg 1999; 57: 1799–804). I am glad to announce that ICPC has been included in the core classifications for Switzerland Health Information System together with ICD and ICIDH. Dr Brunner, president of the Swiss Medical Association (FMH) announced this good news for General Practice/Family Medicine at the Symposium. This was confirmed by Dr Jean Claude Rey, organiser of the Symposium and by Dr Jeanneret from the National Office of Statistics, Switzerland. Dr Mader, from Germany, congratulated his colleagues for this excellent choice, saying that the actual mandatory use of the special adaptation of ICD for Primary Care, chosen by German authorities, is a terrific mismatch. Marc Jamoulle marc.jamoulle@brutele.be A Comparison of General Practice in Europe Different health-care systems—similar problems It may still be a long time before the vision of a united Europe becomes reality in the European health-care sector. General practice and family medicine are characterised by a wide variety of systems—lists of patients registered with a general practitioner (GP), gatekeeper systems, or complete freedom in the choice of physicians. Four different financing models exist in Europe. There is one problem, however, which all countries have in common: the explosion of costs. Four different financing models Four different financing models have established themselves in the European health-care sector: depending on the prevailing model, the funds needed to cover the costs of health care are generated in the following manner: mostly through taxation, in more or less equal shares through taxation and social-security contributions, mostly through social-security contributions, or almost exclusively through social-security contributions. Model 1: National health-care systems In Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Portugal out-patient services are provided by the national health-care system. Under these systems, general practitioners are in charge of primary health care and health management for the individual patient. Great Britian: National Health Service In Great Britain, the Government is directly responsible for the National Health Service. The intention of the reform of the system, which has turned GPs into buyers of specialist and in-patient services, was to shorten waiting times and improve the equipment of medical practices. However, critics maintain that no real improvement has been achieved to date. For an appointment with a specialist, patients in Great Britain first have to see a GP of their choice and enter their names in the GP's list. Outside hospitals, out-patient care is provided exclusively by general practitioners, some ophthalmologists and, above all, dentists. Most GPs have joined group practices. The most recent scheme even provides for family physicians to run part-time practices in pharmacies in order to facilitate access to general practitioners. Ireland: Limited access to public health care for higher-income earners Under the Irish system of health care, access to public health care is limited for higher-income earners, who also have to bear the costs of medical care by family physicians. Financial refunds are granted for hospital and specialist care as well as drug expenses. Low-income earners holding a Medical Card are exempted from this system of deductibles. The GP system is binding for all population groups. General practitioners usually run individual practices, increasingly also group practices. Most of the specialist care is provided in out-patient clinics. Two different systems in Denmark The Danish population has a choice of two different systems. 97% of the population have their names entered in lists kept by general practitioners. These patients do not pay deductibles for out-patient services and assume only a small percentage of total drug costs. Specialist consultations and hospital stays are free of charge upon referral only. The remaining 3% of the population prefer to choose their physicians, including specialists, without any restriction. In return, the physicians thus consulted are entitled to charge higher fees. A third of all physicians in Denmark—among them 80% of all GPs—run independent practices. Every physician keeps a list of between 1300 and 1500 patients covered by social security. Another noteworthy feature of the Danish system is the extremely high staffing level in hospitals and the relatively low density of beds. Swedish health-care centres In Sweden, general medical care is provided by health-care centres. On average, the catchment area of a health-care centre comprises about 20000 persons. Out-patient specialist services are available from out-patient clinics of hospitals, which patients can go to without referral. Given the fact that the majority of patients rely on hospitals for medical care, more than 905 of Swedish physicians are employed by hospitals or health-care centres. Only few general practitioners run their own practices as independent family physicians. Finland: Local authorities responsible for health care The Finnish health-care system is regulated at the local authority level. Since 1993, patients have been paying annual registration fees and deductibles for each consultation. Out-patient services are provided by health-care centres. The largest centre is located in Helsinki and employs a few hundred physicians, while small centres in remote rural areas only provide a basic range of services. A general practitioner employed by a health-care centre is responsible for about 2000 patients registered on his/ her personal list. About 9% of all Finnish doctors work as private physicians in out-patient care. One third of all others run private practices besides being employed by the state. Portugal: National health service The national health service of Portugal has existed since 1979; 60% of the funding is derived from tax revenues. The remaining 40% are raised through social-security contributions and deductibles. The national health service offers out-patient care. 75% of the physicians working for it are general practitioners. For laboratories and x-ray examinations patients are usually referred to practising physicians co-operating with the health service on a contractual basis. About 85% of the Portuguese population are registered with GPs working for the local health-care centres. Model 2: Financing from tax revenues and social-security contributions The health-care systems of Greece, Italy and Spain are financed in more or less equal parts through taxation and social-security contributions. More than 200 social-security institutions in Greece Despite the existence of more than 200 social-security institutions in Greece, almost three quarters of the urban population are covered by IKA, while the majority of the rural population are insured with OGA. All health-insurance institutions receive grants from the public sector. In rural regions, out-patient care is provided by hospital clinics and practising physicians with social-security contracts. There are also a number of health-care centres and wards. The urban polyclinics usually work with practising physicians on a contractual basis. Italy: Family physicians for out-patient care The national health service in Italy was introduced twenty years ago, but the goal of cutting costs has not yet been reached. Out-patient care is the primary responsibility of family physicians, whose patients have to register with them. A GP has ordinarily 1000 to 1500 patients. Except for visits to gynaecologists, ophthalmologists and dentists, specialist consultations require a referral from a GP. National and regional health authorities responsible for health care in Spain A national health service and autonomous regional health services co-exist in Spain; INSALUD, the national health service, provides in-patient and out-patient services. Deductibles do not exist for any of these services. All persons covered by health insurance receive insurance cards for themselves and their families, which authorise them to register with a GP at a health-care centre. A change of physicians is only permissible for special reasons. Free specialist consultations require a referral from a GP or paediatrician. Model 3: Funding of health-care services mostly through social-security contributions This is the prevailing model in Austria, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. The German system is currently in a process of structural reform. The objective of the Government is to introduce a kind of gatekeeper system, i.e. specialist consultations upon referral by a GP only. For the time being, Germany still practices the so-called ‘Bismarck System’ (social security institutions). If a physician has not concluded a contract with a social-security institution, the costs of medical care are at the patient's expense. Belgium: High level of patient orientation Belgium practices a system of statutory health and invalidity insurance. Patients obtain coverage from the health insurance institutions of their choice and are free to change their insurer every three months. The state raises some of the funds required for the health-care sector through tax surcharges (e.g. 5% or 10% surcharge on motor insurance premiums). Every practising physician has the right to participate in the social security system. Patients are free to consult the GP or specialist of their choice. Except for a 25% deductible (the highest in Europe), the insurance institution refunds the physician's fee. Belgium also ranks first in Europe in terms of density of physicians (3.6 physicians for 1000 inhabitants). This results in intensive competition among doctors, which in turn generates a higher level of patient orientation, such as evening consulting hours or home visits. Luxembourg: Reward for screening Social security coverage is required by law in Luxembourg. Patients are assigned to different social security institutions according to their occupations. Social security deficits are covered by the state. Besides the freedom of establishment, the system also provides for free choice of GP and/or specialist. Doctors charge their fees directly to patients with deductibles ranging between 5% and 20%. For screenings the patients will get rewards. Model 4: Social-security contributions cover almost the entire costs of health care In France and the Netherlands the public health-care system is financed almost exclusively from social-security contributions. Experiment in France: Voluntary registration with GPs for referral Employees, farmers and self-employed persons as well as their families are covered by statutory social security. However, high deductibles apply within the system of health insurance. About 70% of the costs of out-patient care are refunded by the social-security institutions. For drug costs, distinctions are made on the basis of the type of drug: while indispensable medication is free of charge, drugs for trivial disorders have to be paid for fully by the patient. The social-security contributions are determined by the state. Out-patient care is provided almost exclusively by independent physicians. Recently, an attempt has been made to establish a system of referral by GPs on a voluntary basis. Patients register with a GP for a minimum of one year and obtain referrals for specialist consultations, which saves them the inconvenience of advance payment and subsequent refunding. The Netherlands: GPs as gatekeepers GPs in the Netherlands have a gatekeeper function. For out-patient specialist consultations and in-patient treatment, patients require a referral from a GP. A GP has ordinarily about 2750 patients. The financing of the health-care system is based on three pillars. General insurance coverage of special health-care costs, which is obligatory for all inhabitants and also covers the costs of old-age care, constitutes the first pillar. The second pillar is made up by statutory or private health insurance, which covers the costs of medical treatment and drugs as well as dental care for children and adolescents. Two thirds of the Dutch population are covered by statutory health insurance. The third pillar concerns services classified as not indispensable (e.g. dental treatment for adults, etc.), which have to be paid for by patients on a private basis. Primary medical care is provided mostly by GPs in individual practices. Current situation of Switzerland The costs of health care in Switzerland are borne by public health insurance (42%) and private households (28%). Patients choose their GPs freely and have direct access to specialists. In 1994, the average ratio of GPs to inhabitants was 1 to 323. Physicians conclude contracts with health insurance institutions. To open or take over a practice in Switzerland, a GP requires a licence to be issued by the canton concerned. There are no special regulations regarding physicians working in hospitals. Recently there are health centres in Switzerland, which make the contracts direct with the health insurance. ... and in Hungary After the fall of the Communist regime, Hungary changed over to the system of family medicine. However, some of the so-called district doctors, whose qualifications are not up to current medical standards, are still practising today. Medical studies take five years, including two years spent in hospitals for practical training. Since 1999, very well qualified general practitioners have been available in Hungary. Ageing population—rising costs of health care Regardless of the system of health management, medical care is excellent in all European countries. However, all systems are suffering from an explosion of costs. Over the past 30 years, continuous efforts have been made to identify the ‘ideal health-care system based on independent practising physicians, patient lists, gatekeeping functions, and lump sum payments per patient by the state. In our opinion, patient satisfaction and good management are the essential criteria of a well functioning system’, underlines Dr Claudio Cricelli, President of UEMO, the European Union of General Practitioners. However, there is one problem which all European health care systems have in common: an ageing population and the associated need for increased medical care, which in turn results rising health-care costs. Statement issued by: Organising Committee European Regional Meeting 2 July 2000 Members News & Events Canada This doctor goes the extra mile—literally! The Saskatchewan College of Family Physicians (SCFP) once gave Dr Donald Gelhorn a unique award, a trailer tyre mounted as a plaque. It read ‘Thanks for all the miles!’ The incoming President (2000–2001) of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) really does go the extra mile, and often! Dr Gelhorn lives in Hudson Bay, a small logging and farming community (population 2200) in eastern Saskatchewan. Over the years (since 1982), he has many times driven 200 miles to Saskatoon or 240 miles to Regina to attend the SCFP's annual meetings and board meetings or, since 1993, to serve on the Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) rural and regional practice committee, which he now chairs. Canadian Family Physician September 2000 Ireland Registrars to free-up GP Trainers for one-to-one teaching In a novel approach to GP training, the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) has appointed three senior registrars to provide more individual teaching time for trainees in practices in Galway, Wicklow and Louth. ‘We are attempting to integrate the commitment to undergraduate teaching, research and clinical practice‘, said Fionan O’Guinneagain, ICGP chief executive. ‘The registrars will provide time for these and they will be relieving the GP trainer for more one-to-one training with the trainee’. The appointments, which are the first of their kind, are on a pilot basis for a two year period. Forum August 2000 Japan Departments of General Medicine to play important role in Japan (The Working Group on the Education of General Medicine, Japan Society for Medical Education. Imanaka T. Koizumi S, Aoki M, et al. A curriculum on the undergraduate education of general medicine medical education. Medical Education (Japan) 1999; 30(2): 65–70.) The decreasing birth rate and the ageing population in Japan are happening at an unprecedented rate. The percentage of the population aged 65 and older in 1998 was 16.2%; it is predicted that it will be at the highest level of any country in the world in 2010. At the same time, the total fertility rate (the number of children born to a woman throughout her lifetime) has fallen to 1.39. The form of the family is undergoing a transformation, with women's increasing participation in work and society and the scaling down of time with the family. In the midst of this transformation, the role that the Social Security system plays is expected to grow to include support for long-term care and care for children. To cope with these situations, medical students and residents should learn how to manage patients comprehensively, in addition to basic clinical knowledge and skills, irrespective of their planned specialties. Departments of general medicine, which are increasing in number in university hospitals and training hospitals in Japan, are expected to play important roles in such clinical education. The Working Group on the Education of General Medicine of the Japan Society for Medical Education has defined general medicine as a discipline that includes three areas: 1) basic clinical skills that incorporate humane health care, 2) comprehensive community and family medicine, and 3) general internal medicine that provides integrated services to solve clinical problems at any level. The working group has also issued a proposal on undergraduate education in general medicine at university hospitals. The working group proposes a detailed curriculum that describes the instruction in the three areas mentioned above. The report includes an overview, general instructional objectives, specific behavioral objectives, learning strategies, and evaluation. Masaji Maezawa, MD Hakkaido University Reprinted in Family Medicine September 2000 Ryuk Kassai, MD, PhD, Director and Chair, The Hokkaido Centre for Family Medicine, following a qualitative assessment of trainees in family medicine and trainers in other disciplines concludes: “Teacher training workshops for trainers in other disciplines will be needed and they should include a module to understand the principles of family medicine. It is vital to keep ongoing communication among trainees, trainers in family medicine and trainers in other disciplines.” The Hokkaido Centre was the first Family Medicine Residency established in Japan. Japanese Journal of Primary Care Vol. 23, No. 3, 2000 Singapore Graduate Diploma of Family Medicine The Singapore College has established a Graduate Diploma of Family Medicine. This is the latest innovation of postgraduate training in family medicine introduced by the College as a conjoint programme of the College, Ministry and University to train doctors. The objective of the programme is to practice family medicine at an enhanced level to meet the needs of the child, the adolescent, the adult and the elderly. This is a two year programme and the first course was initiated in July 2000. The Diploma course is presently open to Singapore doctors who are fully registered with the Singapore Medical Council. At a later date, a cross college collaboration for a joint programme with other countries in the Asia Pacific may be considered. The purpose of the GDFM is to provide an intercalated step to the MMed (FM) for doctors who wish to reach the MMed (FM) level in two steps. Dr Goh Lee Gan November 2000 Taiwan Family Medicine in Taiwan Family medicine has been developed in Taiwan for nearly 20 years, and a national association of family medicine was inaugurated in 1986. The association now has more than 4000 members, representing nearly a fifth of the country's physicians. Taiwan has approximately 1200 medical graduates annually, of whom about 100 enter one of nearly seventy currently existing accredited family medicine residency training programmes. Family medicine residency programmes in Taiwan are similar to those in the United States. During three years of postgraduate training, residents rotate in different specialties; care for patients in a family practice unit emphasising longitudinal care, with increasing time from year one to year three; and participate in significant numbers of seminars and teaching conferences related to family medicine. Unfortunately most programmes are small, with only a few having more than ten residents; many currently do not have any residents at all. Other problems facing family medicine programmes in the country include that many possess a shortage of faculty members and resulting lack of teaching support. Most practising family physicians are not affiliated with teaching institutions, and are not involved in education of family medicine, residents, and students. Therefore, one of the most important issues in the development of family medicine in Taiwan is recruiting and training more family physicians as teaching staff, both within institutions and in community settings. Development of a society for teachers of family medicine in Taiwan would help establish support for teachers of the specialty. In our own Cardinal Tien Hospital, which is a community teaching hospital, the residency programme has a capacity for training four residents annually. Due to the country's overall lack of residents, however, we have been able to recruit only one or two residents in each year of the programme's existence. We have five full time faculty members. In Taiwan, few residency programmes have more than five faculty members, due both to a general lack of capable family medicine educators, and an unwillingness of many hospitals to invest in departments of family medicine due to cost considerations. The Cardinal Tien Hospital is affiliated with the Catholic Fu-Jen University, which will be initiating a new medical school this year with a ‘problem-based learning’ education system. As a result, in the near future our department will be heavily involved in medical student education. Since I will be participating in more and more teaching of family medicine to both residents and students, I have joined the STFM as an overseas member. I hope I can learn and as well offer some assistance with respect to the international aspects of the STFM in the future. Dr Shu-Man Yu Chair, Department of Family Medicine Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taiwan Newsletter of the International Committee Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Summer 2000, No. 5 UK The way of all flesh? What happens to medicine when our ability to alter the flesh is no longer mandated by some underlying pathology? Tattooing, body-piercing and cosmetic surgery treat the body as a fashion accessory, Viagra dwells in a twilight zone between therapy and sex aid, and the one million people who regularly swallow ecstacy do not think of themselves as ill. These are all early examples of recreational therapies—interventions that are no longer based on the depredations of disease but are choices mediated by consumer capitalism. As bioscience extends its dominion over the flesh, new possibilities explode. Recent advances in computerised eye scanning, for example, are just beginning to produce devices that can routinely improve on ‘perfect’ 6/6 vision by correcting for the microscopic defects that exist in the cornea and lens of every human eye (www.wired.com/news/medtech/). Contact lenses built around this technology will show users the world in ‘unnatural’ but probably pleasant and useful clarity. Such advances mean that the word ‘prosthesis’ will no longer be corralled with ‘disabled’ but will come to mean a chic and powerful augmentation that extends the range of physiological possibilities. And alongside these physical bionics the genomic brew is dreaming up radical new plasticities for the human form. Such choices will clearly involve doctors since medicine is intrinsic to much of the technology and doctors are culturally best placed to purvey these new manipulations of the body. But they involve a stark departure: increasingly large parts of medicine will become decoupled from death and disease. Doctors may find this harder to accept than patients—dethroned from fighting death, we may feel demeaned by becoming purveyors of mere lifestyle choices. Paul Hodgkin Co-Director Centre for Innovation in Primary Care, Sheffield Reprinted by kind permission Br J Gen Pract 2000; 50: 677 USA New AAFP Officers At the Congress of Delegates of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in September 2000, new officers were elected. They are: President: Richard Roberts MD JD Madison, Wis President-elec: Warren Jones MD Potomac, MD Uniformed Services Board Chair: Bruce Bagley MD Albany, NY Speaker: Michael Fleming MD Shreveport, La Vice Speaker: Carolyn Lopez MD Chicago Directors: Nancy Wilson Ashbach MD Loveland, Colo Mary Frank MD Rohnert Park, Calif Richard Wherry MD Dahlonega, Ga Jennifer Aloff MD Midland, Mich Andrew Mills Tulsa, Okla From WHO World Health Day 2001 ‘I am delighted to inform you that the Director-General, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, has decided to devote next year's World Health Day (7 April 2001) to the topic of mental health. Although I am aware that your NGO is not directly concerned with mental health issues, this topic has major implications for other health, social and economic sectors. Mental health is regularly ignored and patients are often excluded from social and economic activities. In some parts of the world they are still confined to inhumane institutions while in others policy-makers continue to consider mental health as a luxury. It is evident that mental health care is fundamental: without a healthy mind and brain, individuals cannot develop to their best potential. Today countless individuals, over 500 million world-wide, suffer from mental or neurological disorders or from psychological problems such as those related to alcohol and drug abuse. No one is immune but as a whole we prefer to hide from the facts, thereby fostering a terrible stigma which is partly responsible for the numbers of persons who remain without treatment—treatments that are available and cost-effective. It is time to confront the unfounded myths around mental and brain disorders to ensure that those in need receive appropriate care and we hope that your Organisation will be willing to address this issue on World Health Day 2001. WHO is preparing advocacy materials emphasizing the key concerns of care and exclusion as demonstrated by a limited number of disorders: depressive disorders, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, alcohol dependence, epilepsy and mental retardation. The selected disorders are representative world-wide of the gap between available means of intervention and their application for both mental and neurological disorders. This Day is a unique opportunity for awareness building and advocacy. Our goal for the Day is to trigger a cultural change and create an emotional climate conducive to improving the current state of mental health problems. The Day should be a rallying point, an opportunity to generate enthusiasm to boost our long-term actions, inject a new spirit, generate solidarity and support, create new bonds among people, promote tolerance, inspire self-reflection and encourage those making a difference to stay the course. Dr Benedetto Saraceno Director Department of Mental Health and Substance Dependence Letter 3 October 2000 Odds and Ends JAMA 100 Years Ago, 22 September 1900 Medical Oratory We publish this week an article on ‘Physicians as Speakers’, which can be recommended as instructive reading. The medical is the only one of the three learned professions that pays no attention to oratory, and popularly, as well as in the profession itself. The idea prevails that a physician has no need of any accomplishments in that direction. Mr Whitford shows from a reporter's standpoint how erroneous this notion is; he makes it plain that for the physician who is to take any active part in the progress of medical science a pleasing and effective elocution is in no sense a useless accomplishment. The higher a man rises in the profession, the more essential he finds such ability; he may be eminent as an investigator, a practitioner, and a writer, and yet be seriously handicapped in comparison with men far below him in all these respects by the lack of power, of command of language, and easy and attractive delivery. A great engineer once said, when worsted in argument by those whose opinions on the subject he could not particularly respect: ‘There is no gift like the gift of gab.’ This is a rough statement of a very much more serious truth than was sarcastically implied by its utterer. It was the gift of speech that raised man above the brutes, and it is the same, even in these days of printer's ink, that still often raises man above his fellows. The medical profession may not demand, as generally as the others, oratorical accomplishments of its members, but it does call for them to a certain extent. It is not alone, however, for medical meetings, college lecturing, etc., that the physician requires a proper elocution training; the profession is constantly coming more and more to the front as a public educator and administrator of affairs, and here the value of such training is most manifest. No medical man will be the loser for having such an accomplishment, and the world would be a gainer if more of us had it. It is well, in this regard, to see ourselves as others see us, and for this reason alone the article should be profitable to our readers. JAMA 1900; 35: 753, 755 JAMA, 4 October 2000, Vol. 284, No. 13 Editor's note:Should the ‘gift of the gab’ be included in current vocational training programmes—or is it already? One swears by wholemeal bread, one by sour milk; vegetarianism is the only road to salvation of some, others insist not only on vegetables alone, but on eating those raw. At one time the only thing that matters is calories; at another time they are crazy about vitamins or about roughage. The scientific truth may be put quite briefly: eat moderately, having an ordinary mixed diet, and don’t worry. Sir Robert Hutchison (1871–1960) JAMA, 27 September 2000, Vol. 284, No. 12 Publications Physician funding conference The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) have been collaborating in recent years to encourage the development of family medicine world-wide and to increase its importance in health systems. This work was carried forward by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in organising a conference on Physician Funding and Quality of Care held at St John's College, Cambridge. The report of this conference was published some months ago and is now available from the College. This is a free publication and can be obtained from the International Department. It should prove a useful resource in relation to matters of physician funding and their impact on the quality of care provided by family doctors. Dr Philip Evans FRCGP Chairman: International Committee Royal College of General Practitioners 14 Princes Gate Hyde Park, London SW7 1PU, UK Tel: 44 20 7581 3232 Fax: 44 20 7225 3047 Email: international@rcgp.org.uk Web: http://www.rcgp.org.uk Sterilisation/disinfection guidelines for general practice 3rd Edition Edited by Dr Nick Demediuk Infection control has gained increasing importance over the past decade and the Sterilisation/disinfection guidelines for general practice 3rd edition has been produced by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) as a practical guide for general practice. The Sterilisation/disinfection guidelines for general practice 3rd edition has been specifically developed for general practitioners and has been modified from previous editions to reflect changes in science, technology and community attitudes. The format of the guidelines aims to provide clear information for general practitioners and their staff including: clear definitions of all terms used in infection control; defining and assessing infection risk categories; handwashing/drying; routine environmental cleaning; blood and body substance spills; instrument cleaning; methods of sterilisation, including off-site issues; low risk and single use instruments, equipment and linen; disinfection; waste management; handling and disposal of sharps. The RACGP Practice Procedures Manual Edited by Dr Nathan Pinskier Based on the RACGP Standards for General Practices 2nd Edition, the RACGP Practice Procedures Manual provides a comprehensive approach to adapting a practice manual to the needs of individual general practices. The Manual covers a wide range of essential practice management issues including: occupational health and safety; practice code of conduct; essential telephone directory; the physical environment of the practice; service and responsibilities, including medicolegal issues; record keeping; patient medical records; tests, recall and reminder registers; billing and accounts. The section on the treatment room covers essential procedures required for the general practice treatment room including: essential treatment room equipment; commonly used medical consumables; identification, handling and storage of medications; triage and first aid; the unwell patient; simple chemical tests; oxygen and nebuliser therapy; preparing for procedures and screening tests; sterilisation and cleaning of reusable equipment. Price:RACGP members: $AU44.00; non-members $AU132.00 Standards for General Practice 2nd Edition 2000 The Standards for General Practice 2nd Edition replaces the 1996 Entry Standards for General Practice, and is the basis for assessing practice accreditation. This new edition contains updated references to information technology, sterilisation/ disinfection, immunisation, occupational health, and safety and medical records. The Standards for General Practice recognises that all practices are not the same and that diversity is one of the great strengths of general practice. However, the Standards for General Practice also recognises that the key features of general practice must be guaranteed, which are the provision of initial, continuing, comprehensive and co-ordinated medical care for all individuals, families and communities and which integrates biomedical, psychological, social and environmental understandings of health. Price:RACGP members: $AU13.20; non-members: $AU26.40 For further enquiries about these publications contact: Tel: 61 3 9214 1501 Future Meetings 16th WONCA World Conference, 2001 Theme: Family Medicine: the leading edge Host: The South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care Date: 13–17 May, 2001 Venue: International Convention Centre, Durban South Africa Contact: Dr Garth Brink South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care 30 Savell Avenue Glenashley, 4051 Republic of South Africa Tel: 27 31 572 3771 Fax: 27 31 572 7812 Email Administration: saafpncb@saafpncb.co.za Email Scientific Programme: woncasa@netactive.co.za Web: http://www.wonca2001.org.za 16th WONCA World Satellite Conference, 2001 Theme: Tropical Diseases Host: The College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe Date: 18–20 May, 2001 Venue: Elephant Hills Inter-Continental Hotel Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Contact: Bruce Ehlers Conference Convenor PO Box 2348 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Africa Tel: 263 9 540950/64424/540707 Tel/Fax: 263 9 54 0950 Email: zimitin@samara.co.zw Web: http://www.arachnid.co.zw/wonca_satvicfalls Web: http://www.samara.co.zw/zimitin 17th WONCA World Conference, 2004 Theme: Family Medicine—Caring for the World Host: American Academy of Family Physicians Date: 13–17 October, 2004 Venue: Orlando, Florida, USA Contact: Daniel J Ostergaard, MD Chairman, Organizing Committee AAFP 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway Leawood, Kansas 66211–2672, USA Tel: 1 913 906 6000 (outside USA) Fax: 1 913 906 6075 Email: fp@aafp.org Web: http://www.aafp.org 2001 Conference of the European Society of General Practice/Family Medicine-WONCA Region Europe Theme: General Practitioner—the Frontline Clinician Host: The Finnish Association of General Practice Date: 3–7 June, 2001 Venue: Tampere Hall, Tampere, Finland Contact: Conference Secretariat Tampere Conference Services Ltd Box 630 Fin 33101 Tampere Finland Tel: 358 3 366 4400 Fax: 358 3 222 6440 Email: wonca@tampereconference.fi Web: http://woncaeurope2001.com WONCA Europe ESGP/FM Regional Conference, 2002 Theme: Promoting Excellence in General Practice Host: Royal College of General Practitioners, UK Date: 2–6 June, 2002 Venue: Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre London, England Contact: Secretariat, Professor Michael Pringle FRCGP Chairman, Host Organizing Committee RCGP 14 Princes Gate Hyde Park, London SW7 1PU, UK Tel: 44 171 581 3232 Fax: 44 171 225 3047 Email: jaustin@rcgp.org.uk Asia Pacific Regional Conference, Langkawi, 2002 Theme: Setting the Trends in Health Care for the 21st Century Host: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia Date: 2002 (dates to be announced) Venue: Langkawi, Malaysia Contact: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia Room 6, 5th Floor, MMA House 124 Jalan Pahang 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 60 3 441 7735, 60 3 442 3246 Fax: 60 3 442 5206 Email: afpm@p.o.jaring.my WONCA Region Europe Conference Slovenia, 2003 9th Conference of the European Society of General Practice/Family Medicine Theme: Challenge of the Future Family Medicine/Family Doctor Hosts: Slovenian Medical Association, & Slovenian Family Medicine Society Ljubljana, Slovenia Date: 18–21 June, 2003 Venue: Cankarjevdom, Cultural and Congress Centre, Presemova 10, 10000 Ljubljana Slovenia Contact: Dr Igor Svab Institute of Public Health Trubarjeva 2 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia Tel: 386 1 323 245 Fax: 386 1 323 955 Email: igor.svab@gov.si WONCA Asia Pacific Regional Conference, Beijing, 2003 Host: Chinese Society of General Practice and Chinese Medical Association Date: 5–8 November, 2003 Venue: Beijing International Convention Centre China Contact: WONCA 2003 Secretariat Dept of Foreign Affairs Chinese Medical Association 42 Dongsi Xidajie Beijing 100710, China Tel: 86 10 6525 0394 Fax: 86 10 6512 3754 Email: cmafrda@public.bta.net.cn 2004 Conference of the European Society of General Practice/Family Medicine, WONCA Region Theme: Quality Improvement—Implementation into Daily Practice Host: Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) Date: 1–4 June, 2004 Venue: RAI Building, Amsterdam, Holland Contact: Secretariat: Mrs Jolanda Bladt Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) PO Box 3132 3502 GE Utrecht, Holland Tel: 31 30 288 1700 Fax: 31 30 287 0668 Email: directie@nhg-nl.org Web: http://www.knmg.nl/nhg Asia Pacific Regional Conference Japan, 2005 Host: Japanese Academy of Primary Care Physicians Date: 27–31 May, 2005 Venue: Kyoto, Japan Contact: Japanese Academy of Primary Care Physicians Ebata Building, 4th Floor 2–14, Kandaogawa-cho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0052, Japan Tel: 81 3 5281 9781 Fax: 81 3 5281 9780 Email: pc@primary-care.or.jp Web: http://www.primary-care.or.jp 5th WONCA World Conference on Rural Health Theme: Working together—Communities, Professionals and Services Date: 28 April–5 May, 2002 Venue: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Contact: Conference Secretariat The Meeting Planners Pty Ltd 91–97 Islington Street Collingwood, Victoria, Australia 3066 Tel: 61 3 9417 0888 Fax: 61 3 9417 0899 Email: ruralhealth@meetingplanners.com.au Web: http://www.ruralhealth2002.net 6th World Rural Doctors Conference, 2003 Host: The Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine (semFYC) Date: 2003 Venue: Santiago de Compostela Contact: semFYC Dr Juan Mendive Portaferrisa 8 Pral 08002 Barcelona, Spain Tel: 34 3 317 0333 Fax: 34 3 317 7772 American Academy of Family Physicians; Annual Scientific Meetings 2001 Annual Scientific Meeting Date: 3–7 October, 2001 Venue: Atlanta, Georgia 2002 Annual Scientific Meeting Date: 16–20 October, 2002 Venue: San Diego 2003 Annual Scientific Meeting Date: 1–5 October, 2003 Venue: New Orleans 2004 Annual Scientific Meeting and 17th WONCA World Conference Date: 13–17 October, 2004 Venue: Orlando Contact: Daniel J Oostergaard MD Chairman, Organising Committee AAFP 11400 Tamahawk Creek Parkway Leawood, Kansas 66211–2672, USA Tel: 1 913 906 6000 Fax: 1 913 906 6075 Web: http://www.aafp.org Royal College of General Practitioners-UK-Spring Symposia/Meetings 2001 Northern Ireland Faculty 2002 Midland Faculty Contact: RCGP 14 Princes Gate Hyde Park, London SW7 1PU, UK Tel: 44 171 581 3232 Fax: 44 171 581 3047 The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine 34th Annual Spring Conference Theme: Practical Idealism: A Blue Print for Change Date: 28 April–2 May, 2001 Venue: Adam's Mark Hotel, Denver Colarado, USA 35th Annual Spring Conference Date: 27 April–1 May, 2002 Venue: Hyatt Regency San Francisco San Francisco, California, USA 36th Annual Spring Conference Date: 26–30 April, 2003 Venue: Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto Canada 23rd Annual Conference on Patient Education Date: 15–18 November, 2001 Venue: Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers, Seattle, Washington, USA 24th Annual Conference on Patient Education Date: 31–24 November, 2004 Venue: Marriott's Harbour Beach Resort Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA 21st Annual Conference on Families & Health Date: 28 February–4 March, 2001 Venue: Kiawah Island Resort Kiawah Island SC Contact: Priscilla Noland STFM 11400 Tomahawk Creek Parkway Leawood, KS, 66211–2672, USA Tel: 1 800 274 2237 Fax: 1 816 906 6096 Email: assndfm@stfm.org Web: http://www.stfm.org Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 44th Annual Scientific Convention and Annual General Meeting Theme: General Practice at the Centenary of Australian Federation 2001 Date: 27 September–1 October, 2001 Venue: Sydney Hilton Hotel Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Contact: Lillace Burrow Executive Officer, NSW Faculty PO Box 145 North Ryde, NSW 2113 Tel: 61 2 9886 4703 Fax: 61 2 9888 3154 Email: lillace.burrow@racgp.org.au Web: http://www.racgp.org.au 11th Computer Conference-Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Theme: Change and Opportunity: harnessing information technology to become an effective tool for the general practitioner Date: 9–11 August, 2001 Venue: Carlton Crest Hotel Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Contact: RACGP (Victorian Faculty) 1186 Toorak Road Camberwell, Victoria 3124 Australia Tel: 61 3 9809 0566 Fax: 61 3 9809 1611 Email: 11cc@racgp.org.au Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Annual Conference, 2001 Date: 27 June–1 July, 2001 Venue: Auckland, New Zealand Contact: RNZGP PO Box 10440 Wellington, New Zealand Tel: 64 4 496 5999 Fax: 64 4 496 5997 Web: http://www.rnzgp.org.nz International Meeting on Family Practice coinciding with 31st Annual Conference of General Practitioners' Association-Greater Bombay and 7th National Convention of Federation of Family Physicians's Association of India Theme: Challenges in Family Medicine Date: 26–28 January, 2001 Venue: St Andrews' Auditorium Bandra (West) Mumbai, India Contact: General Practitioners' Association—Greater Bombay 17 Mantri Corner, Gokhale Road (South) Mumbai 400 025 Tel: 91 22 422 0911 Fax: 91 22 436 6093 Email: gpagb@vsnl.com Web: http://www.gpamumbai.org Annual Rural Doctors Conference-Gregynog, 2001 Host: Montgomeryshire Medical Society Date: 26–29 September, 2001 Venue: Gregynog Hall, Powys, Wales, UK Contact: Mrs Sam Harris Primary Care Education Assistant Montgomeryshire Medical Society Gregynog, Newtown Powys SY16 3PW, Wales, UK Tel: 44 1686 650 300 Fax: 44 1686 650 800 9th International Cochrane Colloquium Date: 9–13 October, 2001 Venue: Lyon, France British Geriatric Society, Spring Meeting Date: 5–7 April, 2001 Venue: Cardiff Contact: The British Geriatric Society 1 St Andrew's Place Regent's Park, London NW1 4LB Tel: 44 171 935 4004 Fax: 44 171 244 0454 Email: Rawia-Habiby@bgs.org.uk 6th European Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care Date: 29–31 March, 2001 Venue: Bologna Congress Centre, Italy Contact: Marchella Mitchell BMA/BMJ Conference Unit BMA House Tavistock Square London WC1H 9JP, UK Tel: 44 387 4499 Fax: 44 383 6661 Email: Quality@bma.org.uk Web: http://www.quality.bmjpg.com Rethinking Care-Disability and Rehabilitation Conference Hosts: WHO and The Ministry of Health and Social Services in Norway Date: 22–25 April, 2001 Venue: Oslo, Norway Contact: Eli Knøsen Consultant, WHO The Norwegian State Council on Disability (Statens Råd For Funksjonshemmede) PO Box 8192 Dep N-0034, Oslo, Norway Fax: 47 22 24 9579 Email: eli.knosen@srff.dep.no International Society of Travel Medicine Date: 27–31 May, 2001 Venue: Innsbruck, Austria Contact: PO Box 871089 Stone Mountain Georgia 30087–0028, USA Tel: 1 770 736 7060 Web: http://www.istm.org XXV International Congress of the Medical Women's International Association Date: April, 2001 Venue: Sydney, Australia Contact: Congress Secretariat GPO Box 128 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2001 Tel: 61 2 9262 2277 Fax: 61 2 9262 3135 Email: tourhosts@tourhosts.com.au 16th World Congress on Psychosomatic Medicine Date: 24–29 August, 2001 Venue: Svenska Massan Congress, Gothenburg Sweden Contact: Congress Secretariat ICPM-2001 c/o IPS, Institute of Psychsomatic Medicine Kvibergsvagen 5, SE-415 05 Gotenburg Sweden Tel: 46 31 81 8200 Fax: 46 31 81 8226 Email: ICPM.2001@swefair.se The Australian Society for Cellular and Molecular Gerontology Annual Conference Theme: The Ageing Process: Molecular, Cellular and Clinical Studies Venue: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Date: 10–22 March, 2001 Contact: Centre for Molecular Biology and Medicine Epworth Medical Centre 185–187 Hoddle Street Richmond, (Melbourne) Victoria 3121 Australia Tel: 61 3 9426 4200 Fax: 61 3 9426 4201 Email: tlinnane@cmbm.com.au 18th International Conference, International Society for Quality in Health Care. ISQua 2001 Date: 2–5 October, 2001 Venue: Hotel Crowne Plaza Panamericano Buenos Aires, Argentina Contact: ISQua 2001 Conference Level 9, Aikenhead Centre St Vincent's Hospital Fitzroy, Victoria 3065, Australia Tel: 61 3 9417 6971 Fax: 61 3 9417 6851 Email: isqua@isqua.org.au Website: http://www.isqua.org.au Open in new tabDownload slide Dr Garth Brink, Chairman of the World Conference Organizing Committee, promoting Durban at the European meeting in June 2000 Open in new tabDownload slide Dr Garth Brink, Chairman of the World Conference Organizing Committee, promoting Durban at the European meeting in June 2000 Open in new tabDownload slide The Rivo family from their home town of Miami Beach, Florida. From left to right, Julie, Jessica, Karen and Marc Rivo Open in new tabDownload slide The Rivo family from their home town of Miami Beach, Florida. From left to right, Julie, Jessica, Karen and Marc Rivo © Oxford University Press 2001
TI - WONCA News An International Forum for Family Doctors
JF - Family Practice
DO - 10.1093/fampra/18.1.0I
DA - 2001-01-01
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SP - 0i
VL - 18
IS - 1
DP - DeepDyve
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