Inaugural lecture from Professor Harm van Marwijk

After a brief overview of his personal learning history as a Dutch doctor and a reflection on his work as a teacher and researcher for over 25 years, Professor van Marwijk will present how his Dutch experiences and the concept of connectedness can help us to deal with the current sense of crisis in primary care. The concept is a core value in Harm’s practice, in his teaching, and his research. He believes that connections, and particularly conversations, are necessary for all aspects of medicine, including discussing a patient’s symptoms and questions, making a (provisional) diagnosis, and managing a consultation and practice. These three elements of contact come into play any time a patient walks into a clinic, and all three need to be connected given the mix of diverse, increasingly well-informed and frail patients that a general practitioner speaks with. He will demonstrate how he thinks his connectedness value can link to his core research topic: better care for vulnerable groups (with mental issues, lifestyle risk, frailty, unexplained symptoms). Community engagement, task-sharing and digital innovation may help.