FMER-PRAM Crossroad Panel Discussions: Patient groups in family medicine: opportunities for care and implications for medical education
The panel will present complementary perspectives on patient groups in family medicine, integrating current evidence, clinical practice, and medical education, and will include insights from an ongoing realist review on shared decision-making. The discussion will focus on implementation challenges, the role of facilitation, and implications for practice and training, followed by an interactive session to engage participants.
This discussion panel is聽accredited for 3 Mainpro+ credits.
Panelists and Contributions
- Neil Andersson
Drawing on current scientific evidence, Dr. Andersson will introduce the concept of patient groups, focusing on their neurobiological and participation-based foundations. He will outline core requirements for implementation in family medicine and examine both the opportunities and structural challenges associated with integrating patient groups into practice.
- Gary Bloch
Dr. Bloch will ground the discussion in clinical reality. As a practicing family physician with direct experience using patient groups, he will share practical insights on implementation, patient engagement, and the day-to-day considerations that shape feasibility in primary care.
- Keith J. Todd
Dr. Todd will examine the educational implications of patient groups for family medicine training. His focus will be on integrating participation-based care models into postgraduate education and continuing professional development, with attention to curriculum design and competency development.
- Joan Butterworth
Joan Butterworth, a leadership training facilitator at 91涩漫, will lead the interactive component of the session. She will guide structured small-group discussions focused on applying the panel鈥檚 concepts to practice and education, supporting engagement, reflection, and translation into real-world settings.
Facilitators: Professors Anne Cockcroft and Charo Rodriguez.
Learning objectives:
By the end of the panel, attendees will be able to:
- Better know and understand current state of the art and science of patient groups in family medicine
- Identify current challenges to adopting patient groups in family medicine and in education of family doctors
- Understand the potential contribution of trained facilitation to improve patient groups in family medicine practice
- Discuss about the implications of participation science for better educating family doctors in patient groups
