INTERACTION. The 21st International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare came to Gothenburg for the first time this year. It took place 12-15 of April at Svenska Mässan, The Swedish Exhibition and Congress Centre in Gothenburg.
The conference, which is organised by British Medical Journal BMJ, and the American Institute for Healthcare Improvement IHI, has previously alternated between London and Paris.
According to the conference web site the International Forum “supports and energises the movement for healthcare improvement and connects healthcare leaders and practitioners worldwide to improve outcomes for patients and communities. It is regularly attended by over 3,000 delegates from over 80 countries.”
Change. Save. Sustain. In Partnership with Patients
The theme of this year’s conference was: “Change. Save. Sustain. In Partnership with Patients.” Thus person-centred care was one of the main topics of the conference, with many sessions and presentations from different parts of the world on this subject. Also Olivia Wigzell, Director-General of Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare, addressed this subject during her key note speech, where she said that Swedish health care is now shifting towards person-centred care. (Watch Olivia Wigzell, and other, keynote speeches here.)
There was not a spare seat in the room when GPCC Centre Director Inger Ekman and Education and Implementation Manager Catarina Wallengren gave an interactive lecture, using a mobile phone app, on person-centred care and the implementation programme developed by the GPCC and their nonprofit company GPCC Implement.
The world came to see GPCC at the Conference
GPCC enjoyed maximum exposure at the conference, kicking off with an Experience Day on Tuesday 12th, when a group of international conference delegates attended a full-day visit to GPCC and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The delegates were treated to a programme of talks and workshops, as well as a taste of Swedish food culture.
In a novel approach, Mikaela Javinger chaired the presentation on GPCC and person-centred care. Mikaela has a long experience as a patient in Swedish health care; she is also an author and lecturer on psychiatric patients’ engagement and empowerment in health care. During this session, she interviewed a panel of GPCC researchers and board members, to find out about GPCC and person-centred care from a patient perspective. One of the delegates, from Australia, wrote on Twitter: “Great experience day at the Centre for Person Centred Care – they really mean it, not just ticking a box.”
Painting the town orange
Hundreds of conference delegates visited the GPCC stand at the conference exhibition area, which was manned by the Centre’s researchers. In addition to expertise and printed information on GPCC and person-centred care, the orange GPCC bags proved very popular.
A number of GPCC researchers also presented posters at the conference.
TEXT AND PHOTO: JEANETTE TENGGREN DURKAN
