Delegates from 29 countries gathered in Gothenburg for the first global conference on person-centred care
The first global conference on person-centered care was held at The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg 13-16 May. The University of Gothenburg Center for Person-Centred Care GPCC organized and hosted the event, which was attended by delegates from all the corners of the world. Several participants pointed out that it was about time that researchers and others who develop person-centered care came together in this way.
The first Global Conference on Person-Centred Care with the theme Knowledge(s) and Innovations for Health in Changing Societies (GCPCC) was held May 13-16. The conference was organized by University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC). GCPCC was organized in collaboration with the Nordics’ largest e-health conference Vitalis, and a joint opening of both conferences was held in The Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre’s congress hall on Monday 13 May.
Keynote speakers were senior professor Inger Ekman at the Department of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, founder and former Centre Director of GPCC, and Senior Health Economist Eric Sutherland, who leads the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) work on digital health. Professor Axel Wolf, Centre Director of GPCC was one of the moderators. More than 5,000 participants from over 29 different countries had gathered at both conferences to exchange experiences, network and be inspired with and by each other.
Internationally leading experts shared their knowledge
At GCPCC internationally leading experts in a range of different aspects of person-centred care and related fields of research and knowledge conducted seminars, workshops and artistic performances, and 149 posters were displayed. The GCPCC opened with a keynote session on the afternoon of Tuesday 14 May where Professor Brendan McCormack from The University of Sydney, Australia and Viktoria Stein, researcher at Leiden University Medical Centre spoke. The session was moderated by conference organizing co-chairs Professor Axel Wolf, and Professor Joakim Öhlén, former Centre Director of GPCC.
“The collaboration between Vitalis and GCPCC has been unique and exceptionally fruitful, underscoring the crucial integration of cutting-edge technology with the core principles of person-centred healthcare and social services. With delegates from 29 countries, this global gathering has effectively highlighted the complexity and essential nature of our mission to improve healthcare delivery, with a dual focus on enhancing quality and containing costs”, says Axel Wolf.
“The enthusiastic energy and happiness shared by all the participants were truly exciting. I do hope the outcome of the conference will be renewed and expanded collaborations for both us at the GPCC and the other participants. There were several participants who commented that it was really about time that scholars and others who are developing person-centred care gathered in this way. The keynotes, panels, workshops as well as the oral and poster sessions worked out so well. I’m especially happy for the contributions from about 60 participants in the track Towards State of the Science in Person-Centred Care. Hopefully we can follow up that with a full State of the Science Conference, but that is to be decided once we’ve summarised the discussions that were held”, says Joakim Öhlén.
“However, while the conference was a significant success, it is clear that we must intensify our efforts in scaling and implementing the insights and strategies discussed. The journey ahead demands even greater commitment and collaboration to fully realize the potential of these innovations in person-centred care on a broader scale. Let’s see how far we have come when we launch the second global GCPCC conference in Gothenburg. Check our website for future dates”, Axel Wolf concludes.