TRANSFORMATION

Since 2004, ABC Health Foundation and its partners Albanian Health Fund (AHF)  and Family Medicine Education International (FMEI) in USA; Partnership in International Medical Education (PRIME) in UK  and the Department of Family Medicine of the Medical School in Tirana have provided the only annual forum on family medicine in Albania gathering around 150 general and family physicians all over Albania for a  weekend conference ‘Transformation’. Guest speakers have come from USA, UK and Kosova.

The goals of the Transformation conference are to:

1. Encourage and equip general physicians to practice quality primary care based on the principles and practice of family medicine, whole person care and the moral values of medicine.

2. Promote and facilitate life long learning and professional development for primary healthcare professionals.

Each of the annual Transformation conference aims to cover main principles of family medicine through plenary talks that promote a model of competent and compassionate care and  a variety of interactive, hands-on seminars on common cases encountered in primary care.

Some of the themes that have been covered during the Transformation 2004-2009 are:

• Chronic disease management
• Infectious diseases in primary care
• Role of general and family physicians in caring for different age-group
• The role, competencies and skills of family physicians
• The role of  family physicians in health education and prevention
• Communication skills of  family physicians
• The role of family physicians in palliative care
• Patients’ rights and issues of quality of care in primary care
• The importance of continual medical education for  family physicians
• Beginnings and transformation of family medicine in the UK, USA, etc.

                    Planning is underway for Transformation 2010

Since 2002, ABC Health Foundation has continuously run a yearly internship program for one graduate of the Medical School in Tirana, Albania.  This two-year training program focuses on the basics of primary care and the ethical/moral values in medicine.  Interns see patients under the supervision of one of the senior family physicians at the health center; participate in weekly teaching sessions of the internship’s program; participate in community health programs; and help with and participate in other training activities of the ABC Health Foundation.

The goals of the internship program are:

1. The understanding and application of the principles of family medicine and primary care.
2. The development of basic skills in consultation, physical examination, differential diagnosis and management of common presentations in primary care.
3. The development of the character of a biblically-based physician

These are a sampling of the areas covered during the internship program:

• The patient-doctor relationship (communication and history-taking skills)
• Physical exam skills
• Preparing a problem list
• Differential diagnosis and management of common presentations in family practice
• Principles of disease management and prescribing
• Referral letters and communications with other specialists
• Principles and basic skills of practice management
• Audit and quality of healthcare services
• Teaching methods
• Leadership development

Applications for the 2010-2011 internship program will start August 2010.