-
Telehealth is an evolving reality in modern primary care, and this conference will critically explore its role, limitations, and opportunities.
-
A highlight is the Blue Dot Coffee session on the first day, where newcomers are especially welcomed and introduced to the network.
-
GP research matters, and that telehealth and AI in healthcare are important topics that should be researched by GPs to ensure their implementation aligns with patient-centred care
Hans Thulesius is a professor of general practice and a practicing GP with nearly three decades of experience in academic primary care. He earned his PhD in 2003 with a thesis on cancer from a primary care perspective and has since supervised numerous PhD students and taught extensively at medical schools in Lund and Linköping, Sweden, as well as in Riga, Latvia.
From 2009 to 2024, Hans served as the Swedish national representative to EGPRN and has been deeply involved in international research collaborations across multiple disciplines. With over 200 publications to his name, he remains passionate about mentoring medical students and supporting their master’s theses.
We wanted to sit down with Hans to know more about the EGPRN 100th Conference.
1. How would you introduce EGPRN to our readers?
EGPRN is a unique and dynamic research network for General Practice (GP) that grew out of a workshop format in the 1970s. Since its founding in 1974, it has maintained an intimate and collegial character—more like a family than a traditional conference. We meet twice a year, not just to present research but to discuss and develop research that is relevant to general practitioners. This ongoing exchange fosters collaboration, innovation, and a strong sense of community among GP researchers across Europe and beyond.
2. Why did you consider hosting the 100th EGPRN meeting #EGPRNgothenburg?
I have been part of the EGPRN family for almost 20 years, first attending the EGPRW (workshop) in Barcelona in 1997, and since 2009, I have participated in almost every meeting. Sweden last hosted EGPRN in 2006, so it was our turn to bring it back in May 2020—until a virus took that opportunity away. Now, with a strong team of local GPs dedicated to hosting EGPRN in Sweden’s largest port city, the choice was clear. Born and raised in Gothenburg, I know that this “front side” of Sweden—more connected to Europe than Stockholm—offers the perfect setting for this milestone 100th meeting.
3. Why did you choose the theme “Telehealth: Its Benefits, Quality, and Safety"?
My research interest in telemedicine and telehealth began in 2017 as I sought to understand the phenomenon both conceptually and in practice, from both a Swedish and global perspective. It could sociologically be analysed through the lenses of diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1962) and disruptive innovations (Christensen, 1995). The theme for the 2020 EGPRN meeting, which was unfortunately cancelled, was telemedicine and eHealth. We felt it was important to keep this theme but refine it to focus more on the benefits, quality, and safety of telehealth.
I as a GP know that nothing beats a physical meeting with a patient in terms of connection, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and treatment management. However, I also recognize that many patients are less interested in seeing a doctor in person—they simply want their health concerns addressed efficiently (and conveniently) so they can move on with their lives. Telehealth is an evolving reality in modern primary care, and this conference will critically explore its role, limitations, and opportunities.
4. What other topics will be dealt with in the conference?
While the main theme is telehealth, EGPRN remains a broad and inclusive research network. We welcome a wide range of freestanding papers and posters covering core topics in general practice. These can include everything from cardiovascular disease management to sexual health, mental health, multimorbidity, and beyond. The diversity of research presented reflects the real-world challenges and complexities of primary care, ensuring that the conference remains relevant to all GPs, regardless of their specific research focus.
5. Regarding the keynote lectures and speakers, what would you highlight?
We are excited to feature two distinguished keynote speakers:
Assoc. Prof. Linda Huibers (Aarhus University, Denmark) is a leading researcher in acute primary care and co-founder of EurOOHnet, a European research network on out-of-hours care. Her keynote, "Telehealth: Access to Acute Primary Care," will critically examine the safety, efficiency, and equity of digital tools like telephone triage, video consultations, and AI-based symptom checkers.
Assoc. Prof. Veronica Milos Nymberg (Lund University, Sweden) is a GP and researcher in e-health, AI, and digital tools in primary care. Her keynote, "AI in Swedish Primary Care – A GP’s Ultimate Bucket List," will explore how AI-driven tools impact clinical decision-making, workload, and patient care in an increasingly complex healthcare system.
6. There are four preconference workshops. What can you tell us about them?
i. Writing for Publication – Led by Jako Burgers (Editor-in-Chief, EJGP) and Anna Nager (Editor-in-Chief, Scand J Prim Health Care), this session provides practical strategies for manuscript preparation, peer review, and avoiding common pitfalls in publishing.
ii. Implementation of Telehealth – Marcus Björk, Elisabet Gervind, and Anna Wingård Holst will discuss real-world strategies for integrating telehealth into primary care, including a special session on teledermatology.
iii. Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) – Peder A. Halvorsen (Norway), Guro Haugen Fossum (Norway), Tuomas Koskela (Finland), and a representative from the RaPHael Network will showcase how PBRNs facilitate clinical research by engaging GPs and patients in structured collaborations. Presentations will cover large-scale networks like PraksisNett, as well as small-scale, low-budget models.
iv. Digital Health Interventions – Frank Muller and Eva Maria Noack, from Göttingen Germany, will introduce the CIAS-EU platform, allowing participants to create and test digital behavioural health interventions without programming skills. CIAS was originally developed at Michigan State University. The new CIAS-EU version was recently deployed to comply with the European Union’s security and privacy regulations.
7. What about abstract submissions?
Abstract submissions closed in January 2025. We received a diverse range of submissions, ensuring a rich and engaging scientific program.
8. Regarding the social program, what does the conference offer?
The Welcome Reception will be held at the Stock Exchange, a historic building in the heart of Gothenburg. The Social Night will take place at River Restaurant on the Pier, a harbour restaurant with stunning views of the large river on which the city was founded. And of course, dancing at EGPRN is famous!
9. Why should GPs attend the conference?
EGPRN is a generic (not specialized) research network, meaning GPs will always find topics of interest, whether in clinical research, telehealth, AI, or healthcare systems. As of March 7th we had 137 delegates registered already two months before the conference and at least 13 more pre-planned to come from our sponsor organisations in Sweden. So we anticipate 180-200 participants!
10. What does the conference offer to young GPs?
EGPRN is an excellent playground for young researchers, with new people joining at every meeting. A highlight is the Blue Dot Coffee session on the first day, where newcomers are especially welcomed and introduced to the network.
11. What key messages would you like the conference to deliver?
That GP research matters—and that telehealth and AI in healthcare are important topics that should be researched by GPs to ensure their implementation aligns with patient-centred care.
12. How is the healthcare system and family medicine in Sweden?
Family medicine in Sweden has deep historical roots, starting with state-employed provincial doctors appointed by the king himself (provinsialläkare) from the 1700s until 1970, when public primary care centres were introduced, emphasizing team-based care with nurses performing many tasks typically done by doctors in other countries. Today, primary care centres dominate, with a mix of public and private management, especially in urban areas.
Sweden has universal healthcare funded by taxes, similar to most of Europe. However, unlike in many countries, few GPs run small private practices. Most are employed by public or private providers, but due to bad planning of GP training and not enough incentives to become a GP, one-third of primary care doctor visits are performed by short-term "gig doctors", not all trained GPs, which negatively affects doctor-patient continuity and thus care quality.
13. Which book are you reading? Do you recommend it?
I am reading a book on medically unexplained miracles by Micael Grenholm, PhD student in theology —cases where patients have been cured by divine intervention. The Catholic Church investigates these miracles rigorously, and as a Lutheran believer, I know that God can do miracles. However, as a physician, I rely on my Hippocratic oath and skills. It’s fascinating that we can’t explain everything and to our patients who have faith we must not take that away from them and perhaps encourage it more than we do! The book is good, based on interviews with physicians, patients and clergy and lots of documents, but not available in English. https://micaelgrenholm.com/mirakler/
Join us in Gothenburg (Sweden) from 8th to 11th May 2025. #EGPRNgothenburg. Please visit https://meeting.egprn.org/