European Young Doctors Movement Exchanges

Connecting doctors across the globe is key to maintaining educational and cultural exchanges whilst gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you. Strengthening  international relationships whilst sharing ideas is key to what the European Young Family Doctors Movement  promotes. Exchanges provide the opportunity and also aid to kick start connections both during the…

Person-centred and integrated care for patients in vulnerable positions: From evidence to practice

Person-centred care is a core value in general practice. It means focusing on the whole person rather than just their disease, considering individual characteristics, needs, and context. This approach is particularly important for patients with limited health literacy or in unfavorable socioeconomic circumstances, who often face multiple health and/or social problems, like co-morbidities, poverty or…

Basic LGBTIQ+ Support (BLS): Providing adequate care for our LGBTIQ+ patients in primary care

Patients from the LGBTIQ+ community are at higher risk of experiencing loneliness, discrimination, mental health issues, and sexual health problems. These specific vulnerabilities increase their likelihood of developing various diseases and comorbidities, which deserve particular attention from family doctors. Furthermore, they may face violence and discrimination within healthcare settings. Family doctors can support these patients…

How to fight back: design thinking to reshape healthcare

Primary care across Europe is under strain with staff shortages, bureaucracy, burnout and growing expectations for patient centered care. Traditional structures often feel rigid for teams and confusing for patients. Professionals on the front line need practical tools to rethink how work is organised and how care flows across services.List concrete organizational pain points in…

Evidence-based nutrition strategies for chronic disease management in primary care

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) represent a substantial burden in primary care. Unhealthy nutrition habits, characterized by a low intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains, and a high intake of sodium, added sugars, and ultra-processed foods, are major modifiable contributors to these conditions. Despite strong evidence supporting nutrition interventions, family doctors often face time…

International collaboration in primary care research: engaging, enjoyable and needed for complex trials

Research in primary care can be challenging, particularly when recruiting patients with acute illness. Regulatory, legal and logistical challenges, alongside fragmented funding mechanisms, add further complexity. These issues are even more pronounced in infectious disease research, where timely recruitment and coordination are critical. Established primary care research networks can provide the infrastructure, trusted relationships and…

XABCDE! Trauma first response: enhancing life-saving skills in primary care

Severe trauma is a major cause of preventable mortality, and a significant proportion of critically injured patients first encounter a family doctor, particularly in rural, semi-urban or community settings. Early assessment using the XABCDE framework—focusing on exsanguinating hemorrhage, airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure—is internationally recognised (ATLS, PHTLS, ERC Trauma) as a life-saving priority during…

Emotional Competence in General Practice : A Practical Workshop for Everyday Clinical Application

General practitioners (GPs) encounter diverse and challenging situations that evoke emotional responses. When emotions become overwhelming, they may negatively affect the doctor–patient relationship, contribute to professional burnout and affect personal life. Given these challenges, GPs need to develop adaptive emotional coping strategies relevant to their daily practice. However, emotional skills remain insufficiently addressed in medical…

Balancing values in obesity care: From guideline development to implementation

Obesity is a major public health challenge, rooted in an obesogenic society and largely originating outside the healthcare domain. The development of a national guideline for obesity care (including pharmacological options) revealed tensions between scientific evidence and broader dimensions of healthcare quality. While randomized controlled trials provide answers on effectiveness and short-term safety of weight-loss…

Palliative Care in noncancerous patients: practical skills for family physicians

Although palliative care (PC) is often associated primarily with oncology, its scope extends far beyond cancer. PC plays a crucial role in the comprehensive management of patients with serious chronic illnesses, including advanced COPD, severe congestive heart failure (CHF), and progressive dementia. It improves quality of life, assists with complex decision-making, reduces unnecessary interventions, and…