WONCA Special Interest Group: Non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases

A new WONCA Special Interest Group on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) was approved by the WONCA Executive in July 2013 and serves as a focus for the development of NCDs issues for Wonca worldwide.

Read about why we need a Special Interest Group on Non-Communicable Diseases here.

General membership is open to interested family doctors. For more information email convenor or complete a brief application by clicking the link below.

Convenor / Chair

Dr Ana Cebrián 

email convenor

Born in Albacete, Spain. Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Valencia, Doctor of Medicine from the University of Valencia with cum laude qualification.

Dr Cebrián is a Member of the Executive Committee of PCDE-Primare Care Diabetes Europe, University Professor at UCAM and at Miguel Hernández University in Elche , Lecturer, Diabetes Researcher and member of numerous international professional medical societies, such as the Spanish Society of Family Medicine, where she is a member of the Diabetes Research Group, of the Spanish Diabetes Association, among others.

Passionate of Medicine, research and working with the highest standards of excellence, demand and dedication, in order to apply the cutting edge of science to the day-to-day life of the profession. Author of more than 100 national and international publications, with multiple appearances in both scientific and general newspapers, having received multiple grants and awards.

Co-Convenor or other office bearers

Co-convenor: Dr João Sequeira Carlos (Portugal)

João is the chair of the General and Family Medicine Department at the Hospital Da Luz in Lisbon. See more about João

Secretary: Prof Manuel Sanchez-Molla. (Spain)

Manuel usually works in a health centre (Centro de Salud Raval, Elx, Spain). But for the past few years has been involved in management (Departamento Univiersitario de Elx). He is also professor at the University Miguel Hernandez. Currently he is the director of Elche’s University Department, Including one university hospital and 10 primary care centres.

Executive Members

Membership Open?

Vision and Mission of WONCA SIG on Non-communicable diseases

Mission

To improve the role of primary care physicians in non-communicable diseases' management, around the world.

Vision

To provide new tools improving quality of care in terms of efficiency, equity and efficacy for patients with chronic conditions in primary care.

Objectives of the WONCA SIG on Non-communicable diseases

Objectives

1. Develop and publish a study of the situation of chronicity in the world.
2. Promoting the highest quality standards and excellence in the primary care management of NCDs, focusing on a deep study of the patient.
3. Developing a scholarship course on NCDs.
4. Holding scientific conferences and meetings worldwide.
5. Developing research in primary care of WONCA through researchers groups, communications and sharing ideas between experts. 

News

Publications & Documents

Activities

Plans of SIG on Non-Communicable Diseases

Our Activities
• Guideline development on NCDs issues
• Scientific presentations on NCDs
• Advice to WONCA and affiliated Colleges on NCDs issues
• Participation in Wonca activities and conferences with a focus on the NCDs health agenda
• Provision of a regular newsletter and educational materials
• Supporting the NCDs models in primary care education
• Organising regular online Primary Care NCDs Grand Rounds
• Developing and supporting postgraduate accreditation programms for General Practitioners with a Special Interest in NCDs

Our Proposed Products
• Culturally sensitive guideline (near future)
• Newsletter and regular communication to members
• References of interest

Our Proposed Meetings
• Annual scientific symposium at a WONCA regional / world meeting
• Annual general meeting at a WONCA regional / world meeting
• Regional / national workshops scientific and educational meetings to be organised by the committee

Proposed Collaborations
Co-operating organisations eg WPA, WHO, reputable patient representative groups, all WONCA Working Parties and WONCA Special Interest Groups will be approached to propose members to join the Working Party Executive on specific projects. All WONCA  regions will be approached to send representatives to become members of the SIG Executive.

History

Relevant Resources

WHO Montevideo Roadmap 2018-2030 on NCDs as a Sustainable Development Priority

United Nations high-level meeting on noncommunicable disease prevention and control. NCD summit to shape the international agenda. 19-20 September 2011. New York, USA. download here

Journal articles of relevance

Hansen J, Groenewegen PP,  Boerma WGW, Kringos DS. Living In A Country With A Strong Primary Care System Is Beneficial To People With Chronic Conditions. Health Affairs 34, No. 9 (2015): 1531–1537 doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0582

Wallis KA, Andrews A, Henderson M. Swimming Against the Tide: Primary Care. Physicians' Views on Deprescribing in Everyday Practice. Ann Fam Med. 2017. Jul;15(4):341-346. doi: 10.1370/afm.2094. PubMed PMID: 28694270; PubMed Central. PMCID: PMC5505453. Full text:
Interventions to support safer prescribing in everyday practice should consider the sociocultural, personal, relational, and organizational constraints on deprescribing. Regulations and policies should be designed to support physicians in practicing according to their professional ethical values.

Demeyer H, Burtin C, Hornik M, Camillo CA, Van Remoortel H, Langer D, Janssens W, Troosters T. The Minimal Important Difference in Physical Activity in Patients with COPD. PLoS One. 2016 Apr 28;11(4):e0154587. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154587. eCollection 2016. PubMed PMID: 27124297; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4849755. Full text:
The minimal important difference after pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD lies between 600 and 1100 steps.day-1. The clinical importance of this change is supported by a reduced risk for hospital admission in those patients with more than 600 steps improvement.

Leelakanok N, Holcombe AL, Lund BC, Gu X, Schweizer ML. Association between polypharmacy and death: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2017 Nov - Dec;57(6):729-738.e10. doi: 10.1016/j.japh.2017.06.002. Epub 2017 Aug 5. PubMed PMID: 28784299. Full text:
Pooled risk estimates from this meta-analysis reveal that polypharmacy is associated with increased mortality risk. The causality of this relationship remains unclear, but it emphasizes the need for approaches to health care delivery that achieve an optimal balance of risk and benefit in medication prescribing.

Barker I, Steventon A, Deeny SR. Association between continuity of care in general practice and hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions: cross sectional study of routinely collected, person level data. BMJ. 2017 Feb 1;356:j84. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j84. PubMed PMID: 28148478. Full text:
Strategies that improve the continuity of care in general practice may reduce secondary care costs, particularly for the heaviest users of healthcare. Promoting continuity might also improve the experience of patients and those working in general practice.

Smith SM, Cousins G, Clyne B, Allwright S, O'Dowd T.Shared care across the interface between primary and specialty care in management of long term conditions. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Feb 23;2:CD004910. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004910.pub3. Accessed here
Shared care has been used in the management of many chronic conditions with the assumption that it delivers better care than primary or specialty care alone; however, little is known about the effectiveness of shared care. This review suggests that shared care improves depression outcomes and probably has mixed or limited effects on other outcomes.

Schilling L, Chase A, Kehrli S, Liu AY, Stiefel M, Brentari R. Kaiser Permanente's performance improvement system, Part 1: From benchmarking to executing on strategic priorities. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2010 Nov;36(11):484-98. PubMed PMID: 21090018.

Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K. Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness: the chronic care model, Part 2. JAMA. 2002 Oct 16;288(15):1909-14. PubMed PMID: 12377092.