‘Shared stories of general practice and our communities’

The fourth annual Emirates Family Medicine Society (EFMS) Congress launched in hybrid format on 18 March in Dubai.
 
Part of the congress has been set aside to include virtual presentations, which from 21–25 March are covering key public health and medical education topics. The aim of these presentations is to bring GPs together to discuss topics of interest and areas of need for general practice, with attendees hearing from global leaders from Australia, the USA and Canada.
 
Dr Mark Miller, Chair of the RACGP International Committee, told newsGP the opportunity for the RACGP to be involved with the EFMS Congress arose following the GP20 conference.
 
‘We were given the opportunity to discuss what we had learned hosting GP20 in the global series [which focused on COVID-19 and public health],’ he said.
 
‘It was decided [EFMS] would like to hear from us about our dealings with the pandemic at a practice level, broad messages and interaction between GPs and government.
 
‘Our involvement in the EFMS will bring shared stories related to working in general practice and our communities.’
 
The RACGP will provide four virtual sessions, covering the following general practice topics:
 
The COVID-19 pandemic
Dr Miller, Dr Michael Clements and Dr Emily Kirkpatrick will explore lessons from the pandemic, the role of family medicine, GP–government relations, and the telehealth experience.
 
This session will also delve into some practical lessons from the Australian general practice perspective in managing challenges the pandemic generated, followed by an online discussion forum with congress attendees.
 
Medical education: ‘Agility and innovation in the face of adversity’
Presented by lead RACGP medical educators, this session will cover the development and delivery of the world’s largest online multi-station clinical Fellowship exam – the transition of the Objective Clinical Structured Examination (OSCE) to the Remote Clinical Exam (RCE). Lessons learned to inform future iterations of the RCE will also be shared.
 
‘The RCE has been a great achievement for the RACGP and its implementation demonstrates the many hours not only by the doctors, but also support staff at the college who oversee the flow and smooth running of the exam,’ Dr Miller said of the session.
 
‘It has not just been the simple translation of the OSCE but an entirely new way wave of assessment, case and delivery. This is of great interest to many peak medical bodies who must assess and certify candidates in the COVID era.’
 
Medical research: ‘Diabetes and the role of primary health research in tackling burden of disease’
Academic GP Associate Professor Jo-Anne Manski-Nankervis will share how her research has shaped her clinical practice, and describe a series of studies that have been undertaken in the diabetes field focusing on optimising diabetes management in general practice.
 
The key roles of GPs and practice-based research networks in designing, implementing and translating research programs will also be discussed.
 
Chronic disease: ‘Diabetes management at the practice level’
Dr Miller will examine the Australian demographics related to diabetes and how chronic disease management is incorporated into general practice through team-based care, and how this is supported by government funding.
 
RACGP Censor-in-Chief Dr Tess van Duuren is a panel guest with the RCE team in the medical education session and will be facilitating the session’s Q&A forum. She welcomed the opportunity for the college to collaborate with the EFMS.
 
‘The RACGP supports the EFMS in its mission to ensure that physicians in this region have access to quality continuing medical education, expertise and skills for providing comprehensive healthcare to patients of all ages, genders and diseases,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘The RACGP is looking forward to collaborating with the EFMS on this event and future engagement in partnerships, which will allow global collaboration of education, activities and a GP community of support.’
 
Dr Miller said the RACGP’s involvement in the congress will help endorse and further develop international collaborations.
 
‘I would hope that the RACGP can support and provide opportunities for the college membership to present at such forums and to help forge relationships between peak general practice and family medicines bodies around the world,’ he said.
 
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COVID-19 Emirates Family Medicine Society Congress international partnerships