2020 RNZCGP /WONCA Conference in Auckland, NZ

R

RoseE

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Intro:
M.E. Awareness NZ are investigating how we can bring quality education sessions on ME/CFS to the 2020 RNZCGP (Royal NZ College of GPs) conference (perhaps cover MUS also?). This conference is being combined with WONCA Asia Pacific, so there will be a lot of overseas GPs attending as well. WONCA is a Global Family Doctor conference.

We may have funding to bring international speakers here. Who would be a dream presenter or team? to deliver a session to GPs and that falls within the 2020 focuses listed below.

Closing Dates for submissions:
Abstract submissions close on 31st October 2019.
http://www.woncanz2020.com/wonca20/call_for_abstracts/callforabstracts


2020 Theme:
  • Family Medicine leading the way towards an advanced world of equity, quality and compassion.
  • “During the conference we will explore the scientific and human contributions we can make to create a future that embraces progress, while still retaining the core values needed to move us towards the goal of equal health for all.”
The conference will include the following sub themes:
  • Clinical research that informs daily practice
  • Ways to achieve a more equitable future with equal health outcomes for all
  • All aspects of Quality Improvement
  • The importance of compassion, of continuity of care and other core values of family practice
  • Innovation in health care delivery, integration
  • Benefits and potential harms of advances in technology
  • Sustainability in all its forms
  • Particular issues focusing on Rural Health
Dates: 23 April - 26 April 2020

Details:
 
For starters (and I'm sure there are more):
RoseE said:
Clinical research that informs daily practice
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Jonathan Edwards or Brian Hughes - How to evaluate clinical research so that daily practice is well informed (with BPS trials as case studies)

RoseE said:
All aspects of Quality Improvement
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David Tuller or Caroline Wilshire - The role of patients in improving the quality of medical care

RoseE said:
The importance of compassion, of continuity of care and other core values of family practice
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Lucinda Bateman - Providing good care when there is no treatment - with ME/CFS as a case study

RoseE said:
Innovation in health care delivery, integration
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Heidi Nicoll, Emerge Australia - Telehealth with ME/CFS as a case study

RoseE said:
Benefits and potential harms of advances in technology
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Graham McGeoch, Canterbury District Health Board, NZ - Health Pathways system, with the ME/CFS pathway as a case study of how advances in clinical care can be promulgated

I'd happily donate to get those people to the conference.
 
Based on my very limited knowledge, knowledge of just one New Zealand GP, it does seem that this annual conference is well supported and highly regarded by GPs there.

If it can be used by a Lightning Process practitioner to gain access to the medical profession and indirectly to health planning, surely it can be used also as a force for good for people with ME.
 
Hutan said:
For starters (and I'm sure there are more):
Jonathan Edwards or Brian Hughes - How to evaluate clinical research so that daily practice is well informed (with BPS trials as case studies)

David Tuller or Caroline Wilshire - The role of patients in improving the quality of medical care

Lucinda Bateman - Providing good care when there is no treatment - with ME/CFS as a case study

Heidi Nicoll, Emerge Australia - Telehealth with ME/CFS as a case study

Graham McGeoch, Canterbury District Health Board, NZ - Health Pathways system, with the ME/CFS pathway as a case study of how advances in clinical care can be promulgated

I'd happily donate to get those people to the conference.
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Please, please, can we have all of them? I know, I know, practicalities...

But I'd sponsor a side trip to Tiritiri Matangi Island for @Jonathan Edwards! Lots of beautiful birds :emoji_bird::emoji_bird::emoji_bird:- and the island trust runs an annual bird photo competition, too. Anything else we can tempt you with @Jonathan Edwards? And don't worry about flight emissions either, I'll get my husband to plant extra trees in our bush regeneration project to offset them. ;)

Heidi Nicholls could also talk about their new GP education thingy which I'm sure could be angled to cover several of the sub themes of the conference.

IIRC Lucinda Bateman was working on a Project Echo type thing, that could be interesting, too, and fit in with equitable and rural access.
 
Sticking my nose in wondering if Dr Nacul would be a possible option speaker? Maybe too busy with his new job in Canada and ongoing NICE involvement. He had worked with patient group @Suffolkres and were almost successful in getting a physician led service commissioned. So he knows what patients need from GPs and how things can be done better.
 
Another possible speaker is Dr Steve Olson, a regional director of Kaiser Permanente, which is a massive provider of medical care in the US. Thanks to @Webdog and Dr Olson, KP have changed the way that they deal with ME/CFS. See this thread.and the associated Tuller blog. Are you still in touch with him Webdog?

Dr Olson has said thing like this:
So there is this group of patients that we now understand has an objective illness that is not psychiatric—whether it’s metabolic, neurological, or whatever. And what fascinates me is that this condition has been so mismanaged throughout medicine. What’s the sociology behind this? How did we remain ignorant for so long? We have made well-meaning recommendations that were harmful. I can say that—that’s the truth. There is no evidence that this is a primary psychiatric illness, and it’s not related to deconditioning at all. And so the treatments we have been advising aren’t the appropriate treatments.

And there has been an amazing lack of physician education in general. There has been a total void. Every physician needs to understand the current concepts around ME/CFS, or whatever you want to call it. We’re all embroiled now in looking at the data. My goal at this point is, however we got here, is that every physician needs to understand the current state of information and make evidence-based recommendations to help patients.
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He'd probably have a few interesting thoughts about Mel Abbot's talk to the last conference.

I think quite a few people overseas would be happy to have an airfare to NZ, some free accommodation and a bit of local hospitality in return for giving a speech. We should take advantage of that. The ME/CFS community should be able to raise money to get speakers here every year.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
I think I might be gearing up for February 2021 for NZ. If there are relevant events then I might be able to get involved.
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IIRC the people at ME Awareness NZ are collecting dates for events of that sort (@RoseE).

An insider's tip from somebody who used to work for an inbound travel agent: if you don't have any particular reason for travelling in NZ in January or February consider avoiding those months, they are peak tourist season, expensive and busy. The same increasingly applies to December and March, my former colleagues tell me. April would be my pick, generally nice autumn weather and less busy.

On the other hand, recalling the year spent in the UK as a child, February is definitely a month when the lure of the antipodes becomes very tempting indeed.

Whenever you choose to come, you'll be welcome.
 
Hi @Jonathan Edwards, re times to come to NZ...
cc @Ravn

Key conferences held each year in NZ as follows:
  • May (3 days - 2nd week?) - RACP Congress (Royal Australasian College of Physicians) - Held alternately in Australia and NZ. This often has MUS sessions.
  • June (4 days - 2nd to last weekend?) - NZMA GP CME North (NZ Medical Association) - normally in Rotorua
  • July (4 days over last weekend) - RNZCGP (Royal NZ College of GPs) GP Conference - Note in 2020 will be in April instead & combined with Wonca.
  • August (4 days - 2nd weekend?) - NZMA GP CME South - Christchurch

We have started a google doc for conferences in Australasia, but it is a work in progress. But when you start to firm up your visit please get in touch with us.

Other opportunities:
Obviously if you wanted to come when there are no conferences on (and should you have time in amongst the bird watching), we could look at organising some media interviews, meetings at universities & hospital Physicians, or more personalised presentation sessions with Physicians.
 
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Just noting some more info I got from RNZCGP re the Wonca 2020 conference...

We are expecting up to 1800 delegates; a 1000+ from NZ (300 from Auckland) 300 from Australia and 300 from the Asia pacific region. Mostly made up of GP’s, but there will be plenty of Nurses, Students, PHO (Public Health Organisation) and DHB (District Health Board) representatives, other exhibiting business and other Health care professionals (MOH - Ministry of Health, WONCA Representatives).

All keynote and plenary speakers in main auditorium will be recorded and are generally posted on Facebook and if requested could be sent directly. People often record their own speakers in the breakout sessions which you could reach out to.
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