The Collège National des Généralistes Enseignants (CNGE) held its annual Congress in Strasbourg (France), 21-24 November 2024, with the theme “Exercer et Enseigner la Medicine General”.
The conference had one roundtable titled “Access and Care Coordination: France-Europe Comparison”. Dr. Yann Bourgueil opened the discussions by emphasizing the importance of comparing healthcare systems and primary care internationally. He highlighted shared challenges, such as population aging, healthcare access inequalities, and the need to integrate technology to enhance care coordination.
Here are the key takeaways from country-specific approaches illustrated through practical diabetes care cases:
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Switzerland (Dr. Jean-Baptiste Kern): An integrated system where extended consultations enable for personalized follow-up, with services available within practices. The challenges are linked to high insurance premiums and a care organization strongly influenced by tariff models.
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United Kingdom (England) (Dr. Karolina Griffiths): The National Heath Service (NHS) innovates with models like "Super Six" for complex cases and the role of "Social Prescribers" who address social determinants of health. If technology plays a key role in patient follow-up and prevention ensuring equitable access to healthcare and sustainable system financing remain significant challenges.
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Spain (Dr. Pilar Astier, EQuiP): A multidisciplinary approach centered on family doctors, supported by advanced digital tools (e-prescriptions, shared dashboards). Strengths: universal accessibility and effective care coordination. Challenges: heavy administrative workload and lack of interoperability between regions.
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Belgium (Prof. Jean-Luc Belche): A flexible model combining multidisciplinary practices and capitation-based funding to strengthen care integration. However, fragmented approaches and the lack of standardized protocols remain challenges for complex cases (CNGE 2024 - Slide de pr…).
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CNGE: Professor Saint Lary, President of CNGE, highlighted the challenges and strengths of training and research in family medicine across Europe.
💡 Conclusion: Despite national specificities, these systems share common challenges: promoting interdisciplinarity, optimizing human resource management, and leveraging technology for better care coordination.
The session was expertly moderated by Marc Chanelière, Professor of General Medicine at the University of Lyon and a member of the CNGE board.
A big thank you to the speakers for these enlightening discussions that shed light on the future of primary care in Europe! 🌟
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The National College of Teaching General Practitioners (Collège National des Généralistes Enseignants -CNGE-) is the main scientific society for general medicine in France, established in 1983.
It represents 34 regional colleges affiliated with French medical faculties. The college has played a significant role in establishing the university pathway for general medicine. As of 2022, this pathway includes 41 university professors, 50 associate professors, 106 associated professors, 163 clinical chiefs and university assistants in general medicine, as well as 12,800 university internship supervisors.
This pathway allows for a comprehensive network across France, accommodating all second-cycle students and those pursuing a specialized degree in General Medicine. Internationally, the CNGE actively participates in international networks.