Athens 2024: final preview of the programme

The 12th IPCRG World Conference will take place in Athens next week from 9-11 May. We are excited to share our rich and varied respiratory health scientific programme with the hundreds of primary care delegates from 49 countries who have already signed up to join us. But, don’t worry, there is still time to register to join the primary care respiratory community for a comprehensive update on best practice in family medicine respiratory care.

You can view the full conference programme here. It is now full of exciting new research abstracts from you and your peers around the world in the form of oral presentations, Conversation Cafes, posters, plenary sessions and workshops. We are excited to share a final round-up of some of the sessions you will be able to join if you register now:

How behavioural science can help you overcome clinical challenges

This session will enable participants to recognise the role of the mind and behaviour in most ‘body’ problems and how it adds complexity to primary care consultations. It will provide the rationale for evidence-based psychological approaches and the value of careful choice of words as a clinical tool. It will be very practical too – providing some practical and generalisable tools to motivate and support patients to engage in their care and change important health behaviours (e.g. smoking, physical activity, medication adherence). Speakers are as follows:

• Kirsten Stewart-Knight (UK):  ‘I can’t get enough air’: applying an understanding of how the mind affects respiratory health and how we can intervene
• Anna Spathis (UK): Brief psychological interventions for the management of breathlessness: rationale and evidence 
• Kim Lavoie (Canada):  An introduction to brief motivational communication to change patient attitudes and behaviour

Diagnosis of chronic respiratory disease in primary care: practical tools for teaching and learning

This session will debate what is reasonable and feasible for primary care to do regarding diagnosis, demonstrate best practice and highlight teaching and learning resources. Speakers will present on the following topics:

• Kerry Hancock (Australia): Spirometry in primary care
• Jaime Correia de Sousa (Portugal): IPCRG's asthma diagnosis puzzle
• Hani Salim (Malaysia): The use of peak flow meters

Workshop: Asthma Escape Room

Facilitators: Jaime Correia de Sousa (Portugal), Catarina Novais (Portugal), Cláudia Vicente (Portugal), Ana Margarida Cruz (Portugal) Ana Rita Laranjeiro (Portugal),  Cláudia Morato (Portugal), Luís Leal (Portugal)

Have you ever tried an Escape Room? How about an Escape Room simulating the clinical and patient experience of asthma diagnosis and management? Human factors such as effects of teamwork, tasks, equipment, workspace, culture and organization are increasingly being shown to affect patient outcomes. Escape Rooms are perfect opportunities for teams that have never met before (or even better if they have) and asks them to quickly solve under time pressure the uniquely random sets of (hopefully) solve-able problems — albeit strictly for fun!

Workshop: 'Greening your practice and community workshop' session spotlight

Facilitators: Mayara Floss (Brazil), Despo Ierodiakonou (Cyprus)

Following on from the first session of the conference, which introduces the concept of Planetary Health and how we can all contribute to sustainable healthcare, in this fruitful workshop you will work in groups to create network diagrams based on respiratory clinical case studies from around the world. By using this powerful tool you will learn;

• how to recognize areas within your current practices where you can implement green initiatives and reduce waste,
• ways to apply sustainable practices within your primary care settings to reduce environmental impact,
• how to educate colleagues, staff, and patients about the importance of greening primary care practice, and
• how  you can advocate for change.

At the end of the workshop there will be the chance to plant a tree. 

 

So, clear your diary now for 9-11 May to reconnect and network with colleagues & friends, old and new. Register here.

Workshop places are limited, so make sure you sign up to the ones you wish to attend when you register, or, if you have already registered and  missed the workshop sign-up form, info [at] ipcrg2024 [dot] org (subject: Workshop%20registration) (get in touch).

We also hope you will join us at the Conference Dinner to relax and connect in an informal setting. It takes place on Friday 10 May at il Giardino restaurant in Athens. It is open to all delegates but you must sign up to be guaranteed a place at the dinner. Check your emails from Erasmus, our conference organiser for more details. Please note the cost of this is in addition to the registration fee - but it will be worth it for the networking, food and dancing!