Health Care for All: Persistent Barriers for Marginalized Populations and Crisis-Driven Disruptions
Matic MIHEVC and Tina VIRTIČ POTOČNIK
Access to healthcare is a universal concern, yet its challenges are unevenly distributed. While the general population may face disruptions during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, marginalized populations including Roma and non-native-speaking communities experience persistent barriers even in routine care. These obstacles affect preventive services, chronic disease management, and care continuity. This workshop examines strategies to promote equitable access, maintain continuity, and foster collaborative practice, framed through the WONCA 2026 conference themes of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to identify barriers to healthcare access, describe challenges during healthcare crises, propose strategies for equitable chronic and preventive care, and apply collaborative approaches reflecting Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.The workshop will start with a ten-minute introduction framing healthcare access through the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. This will be followed by presentations of two European-funded projects. Project XXX will demonstrate strategies to maintain chronic disease care during crises using a hybrid care model for patients with type 2 diabetes and heart failure in XXX, combining patient portals, video consultations, and remote monitoring. Project XXX will focus on improving preventive care for marginalized populations, presenting a targeted diabetes program for Roma and migrant communities in XXX that integrates community outreach, culturally tailored education, and multidisciplinary care teams. Participants will then engage in small group discussions to develop practical, integrated solutions, and the session will conclude with a plenary discussion sharing insights and key takeaways for application in everyday practice.Participants will gain practical strategies to improve access to preventive and chronic care for marginalized populations and during crises. They will strengthen interprofessional collaboration, exchange best practices, and acquire concrete methods to embed the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in clinical practice.This workshop positions equitable access as a cornerstone of humanistic general practice. By combining preventive, chronic, and crisis-responsive care, it fosters collaborative, inclusive, and patient-centred healthcare that addresses both everyday inequalities and the heightened challenges of crises.
