International Keynote

Prof. Igor Švab

Dean of Medical Faculty University of Ljubljana
Editor-in-chief of the Slovenian Journal of Public Health

Honorary Secretary of EGPRN between 1995 – 2001
Executive Board member EGPRN between 1991 – 2001

CV of Prof. Igor Švab, MD, PhD, FRCP 

Person centered care, a core concept in family medicine

Person-centered care is a crucial concept that was first defined within the scope of defining family medicine. It is considered one of the main characteristics of family medicine.Its definition was primarily established by EURACT. By defining the concept, it could be taught and incorporated into medical education curricula.

However, the concept of person-centered care is only meaningful if evidence is produced to prove its usefulness in healthcare. This is the task of research organisations, which need to provide evidence that person-centered care works and positively impacts healthcare quality. Even when this evidence is provided, a significant challenge remains in convincing policymakers and other decision-makers to implement person-centered care in healthcare policies.

The future of patient-centered care is likely to involve even greater emphasis on personalization, technology, and patient engagement. By leveraging these tools to deliver more individualized and responsive care, healthcare providers can improve health outcomes and patient satisfaction while also reducing healthcare costs.