Keywords: Research, Education, Network, Collaboration, European Region, Rural inequalities,
Justification:
Rural health care is now climbing up the political and academic agendas in Europe, the infrastructure to support both rural health research and rural educational initiatives is significantly limited both at national levels and regionally. The majority of the cited research comes from other regions of the world where health services, geography and demographies are different. It is time that we in Europe build a meaningful academic response by connecting academics working across Europe through a research and educational network with the aim of meeting the needs of our rural communities
Objective:
We aim to bring together academics who are working in isolation to develop a European perspective through a network of individuals, institutions and professional bodies within EURIPA.
Our aim is to promote the sharing of ideas and the development of partnerships through collaboration.
Organisation:
EURIPA is the natural body with which to take this initiative forward. EURIPA has become a successful, vibrant and respected network of rural family doctors across Europe with a growing track record in research. We aim to engage with the academic sector to meet the distinct inequalities that exist in rural Europe
Participation:
The session will be open to all delegates. The Academics present will give short presentations outlining their work, their interests and their aspirations for the future. They will identify what they could do in collaboration across Europe.
This will be followed by small group work to determine how they can work together and identify research & educational priorities for the future.
We hope to end with a plan to go forward
Expected outcomes:
Getting to know each other
Identify:
-special interests, past & present research and educational initiatives
-what a network/colaboration could look like
-the priorities for the future
-investigate possible funding streams
Work
-with family doctors
-with NGO and Political, professional and statutory bodies
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