Discover EURIPA, the European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association
How is health care delivered in your rural area? Do you have a family doctor in your village? How far are you from an emergency centre and acute specialist services?
The European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association, EURIPA, was set up to address the health needs of rural communities and the professional needs of those serving them.
EURIPA was established in 1997 when there was growing recognition that rural family doctors practise medicine in a different way to their urban colleagues. The remoteness from emergency centres and other specialist services and opinions, require a much wider range of skills and competencies.
Family medicine/general practice remains at the heart of rural healthcare. Family doctors are increasingly working in teams with colleagues such as nurses, physiotherapists, mental health practitioners etc. The rural primary care team provides safe, comprehensive, effective, and efficient care for patients in their communities. Rural health care workers understand the needs of the communities that they serve. Nowadays rural family doctors also work with their colleagues in public health and social care. They are embedded in their communities and seen as trusted leaders.
EURIPA is involved in research, education and advocacy for rural health professionals and their communities. For example, medical schools are (generally) located in universities in urban centres. How to recruit, train and retain rural family doctors is one of the current challenges. Young doctors are the future of rural primary care but ‘going rural’ is rarely the first career choice. To address this, we must shift perceptions and highlight the numerous opportunities available in rural healthcare, including considerations like housing, career prospects for partners, and access to schools. Integrating health into community development planning is essential to create a supportive environment for rural healthcare practitioners and foster the future of quality healthcare in rural areas.
EURIPA also acts as a voice for rural practitioners in the family doctor networks in Europe such as WONCA Europe (World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physicians), UEMO (European Union of General Practitioners ) and EFPC (European Forum for Primary Care). EURIPA believes that it is essential to use a ‘rural lens’ when policy is being developed, in a process generally called ‘rural proofing’.
EURIPA organises a Rural Health Forum on an annual basis and this year the Forum will be held in Romania from 19th – 21st October. The title is: “Rural Family Medicine - looking to the future. Exploring opportunities and developing solutions to address challenges being faced across Europe”
You can find out more at https://forum.euripa.org and there is also a podcast about the Forum at https://theruralroadtohealth.blog/podcast/.