Two members of the Clinical Communication Faculty attended conferences in Holland and Austria respectively, where they presented the results of their research:

Dr Alexia Papageorgiou, Associate Professor in Clinical Communication, attended in October the international conference of the European Association for Communication in Healthcare (EACH) which was held in Amsterdam. Her presentation focused on a study carried out in the UK between 2010 and 2011 and which examined the views of first year Foundation doctors (F1) and their supervisors regarding how prepared the newly qualified doctors felt they were for the early weeks of work. (abstract)

According to Dr Papageorgiou, the most important professional connection for our School is the acquaintance and email correspondence with Dr Jeanine Suurmond, project manager of C2ME (Culturally Competent in Medical Education  www.amc.nl/C2ME MEM-TP). Dr Suurmond and her colleagues at the Academic Medical Centre / University of Amsterdam Department of Public Health, have years of expertise in training interpreters for health care settings and are offering training packages for health professionals to improve access and quality of health services for migrants and ethnic minorities, including the Roma www.mem-tp.org. A future collaboration with Dr Suurmond could provide the stepping stone for research and training between the two institutions.

Finally, Dr Papageorgiou proposed to Dr Jonathan Silverman, President of EACH, to host the 2018 International Conference in Cyprus. Whether this will be materialised, will depend on the successful outcome of a bidding process.

Dr Theano V Kalavana, Assistant Professor in Clinical Communication, attended in September the 28th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS) held in Innsbruck University, Austria.  She presented the evidence of a lognitudinal study titled  “Patients’ satisfaction. Is it only a matter of effective communication skills?” (abstract) The study, which was funded by the Research Promotion Foundation and European Structural Funds, took place in Cyprus’ Public General Hospitals, lasted for three years and studied parameters involved in patients’ satisfaction. 

 

During the closing ceremony of the conference, Dr Kalavana, as chair of the organising committee for the 2015 conference to be held in Limassol 1-5 September (www.ehps2015.org), received the official EHPS flag.