IHR Seminar: The Importance of Person Centred Care in the Health Care Sector Today and Tomorrow

In this seminar Professors Ekman and Swedberg will explain the unique framework of Person Centred Care on which the Gothenburg Centre for Person Centred Care (GPCC) is based. Professor Ekman will explain the philosophical and ontological basis of the framework and Professor Swedberg will talk about his work on standards for PCC as well as design of controlled studies in GPCC. Inger Ekman is Professor in Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. During the period 2006-2010 she was Head of Institute (prefekt) of Health and Care Sciences, and 2010-2012 Vice Dean at the medical faculty (Sahlgrenska academy).

Inger Ekman's research focuses on communication and symptoms in patients with long term illness, and evaluation of person-centred care interventions. She has more than 100 publications in scientific journals and is the founding Director of GPCC. Research on person-centred care is the focus of GPCC which is built on a large governmental grant (15 million Euros) involving about 30 multidisciplinary research groups in for example care sciences, medicine, pedagogics and economics. Since 2016 Professor Ekman is also the coordinator and chair of COST 15222, a European initiative (with 27 countries are partners) on testing implementation of person-centred care and health promotion within the frame of cost containment with maintained or improved quality of care in Europe.  

Karl Swedberg is Senior Professor of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and Professor of Cardiology, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London. His research interests include beta-blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and their effects on heart failure (HF) and myocardial infarction (MI), neuroendocrine activation in HF and the treatment of chronic HF. Professor Swedberg was the first to report on the survival benefits of a beta-blocker (1979), ACEI (1987) and angiotensin receptor blocker (2003) in chronic HF. He has published widely, including over 330 original research papers and 25 textbook chapters. Professor Swedberg was included in the 2016 listing of Highly Cited Researchers by Thomson-Reuters. In addition, he has been a steering committee member for numerous outcome trials in HF and MI and is a member of the Executive Committee for the PARADIGM-HF trial. Professor Swedberg received the 2004 Kaufman Award from Cleveland Clinics (USA) for his HF research, the European Society of Cardiology Gold Medal 2007 for his outstanding contributions to the cardiovascular field and in 2016 the Lifetime Achievement Award from Heart Failure Association (HFA). He has been an Honorary Member of the Thai Heart Association since 2007, the Swedish Society of Cardiology since 2008, and the Japan Circulatory Society since 2009. In addition, Professor Swedberg was Editor-in-Chief of European Journal of Heart Failure from 2005 to 2009. He is associate Editor of the European Heart Journal since 2012.