"You cannot make progress without making decisions": IPCRG at WONCA Europe 2023

“Making choices in primary care” was the motto of the 28th WONCA Europe Conference held on 7-10 June in Brussels, Belgium. With over 2000 registered participants from 77 countries, the conference once again proved to be one of the most popular events among primary healthcare professionals worldwide. The scientific program reflected the interdisciplinary nature of family medicine, as well as the specific challenges of the current context.

As a Special Interest Group for respiratory care, IPCRG has a longstanding tradition leading workshops and plenary sessions at WONCA conferences. This year was no exception, and an IPCRG representative team consisting of Jaime Correia de Sousa (Portugal), Marina Garcia-Pardo (Spain) and Catalina Panaitescu (Romania) attended to present a workshop on an innovative topic, ‘Patient-cented care: management of chronic respiratory diseases’. The aim of this was to present for discussion primary care-derived person-centred care statements and aligned primary care competencies (in the format “know, know how to do, and do” for both asthma and COPD. The participants were briefed in IPCRG’s global ‘Right Care’ Change Programmes, and on the existing support made available through the guidance and tools produced by these social movement initiatives.

Another point of strategic interest was the call to action IPCRG presented at the WONCA Europe Council meeting held at the conference, intending to be addressed to governments in order to urge decisions for the acknowledgement of the role and provision of support for primary care and research in the field of respiratory health, without which there can be no progress. More updates will be provided on this in the future.