The Primary Care Academy

Primary care challenges

The main challenges for healthcare and primary care are demographic trends characterised by:

• a large number of individuals with chronic conditions;
• multimorbidity;
• the increase in social problems.

Shift from disease- to goal-oriented primary care

The classical, science-based guidelines developed for one particular clinical picture no longer bring relief.

We need to focus more on 'dealing' with the consequences of the disease than on curing the disease. We need to 'take care of the person more than the disease'. A paradigm shift from disease-oriented care to goal-oriented care is therefore necessary. Self-management is the goal and interprofessional cooperation is a necessity.

The Primary Care Academy

Aims

The aims of the Primary Care Academy are:

• increase research capacity in Flanders on primary care;
• supporting the first-line zones by building up knowledge about person-centred care, developing innovative instruments and action plans in cooperation with the field actors;
• help fill the need for education and continuous training of care providers and contribute to mitigating the outflow of professionals from the welfare and care sector.

Research topics

Arteveldehogeschool colleagues are involved in primary care in:

• needs assessment (lead);
• targeted working;
• collaboration;
• putting theory into practice. 

Funding

To create a strong first line, the King Baudouin Foundation, and more specifically the Dr Daniel De Coninck Fund, funds the Academy for the First Line and, in the French-speaking part of the country, 'be.hive'.

Partners

The Academy For The First Line is a research and education network and consists of the University of Antwerp, Free University of Brussels, Ghent University, Catholic University Leuven, Hogeschool Gent, Arteveldehogeschool, Vives Hogeschool, Karel De Grote Hogeschool, Thomas More Hogeschool, UC Leuven-Limburg, the Wit-Gele Kruis and the Flemish Patients' Platform.