1

Click here to load reader

Paul Backer: in Memoriam

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Paul Backer: in Memoriam

Paul Backer In Memoriam

Paul Backer died on 6 June 1995,67 years of age. A dear friend and a highly respected colleague is dead. We first became acquainted back in 1963.

He will be remembered for his work and achievements for general practice as a discipline in its own right both in and outside Denmark. His work for the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care and for medical education can be particularly mentioned.

In the 1950s and 1960s reform movements started in general practice independently in many countries around the world. This was especially caused by the shortcomings of cumcula at all medical schools. The students were not prepared for work in primary care. The teaching was dominated by rare diseases of bedridden hospital patients. General practice was of low esteem as a career, and the working conditions were unsatis- factory, though not as clearly in Denmark as in many other countries because of its patients on the list system. What was common for the reform movements was the recognition of the needs for adequate education of the key person of all health care systems: the generalist. In addition came the need for proper, feasible working conditions in primary care.

Paul Backer was the person in Denmark who especially played a central role in this reform movement. On the Nordic scene one can mention his work for a Scandinavian journal and for the Nordic conferences of general practice, in which he played an important role as one of the initiators and president of the first conference. Already in 1970 we discussed the need for a Nordic scientific journal of general practice in English. Most medicial journals had little room for research ar- ticles from general practice. The first Nordic Con- ference of General Practice in Copenhagen in 1979 revealed a strong need for publication possi- bilities. At the next conference in Bergen in 1981

an editorial board was appointed. In 1983 the first issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care was published. It was soon included in Medline, and it has a larger circulation than any other specialist Scandinavian medical journal. Few know how much effort Paul Backer, as Chief editor until 1987, put into this achievement. First, to get basic financing and a publisher. Then to go through manuscripts which were sent to the board: Accept, refuse or often “rewrite” them. Late nights, weekends and even holidays were consumed for him. And it was a pleasure to cooperate with him.

In “Festskrift ti1 Paul Backer”, a book honour- ing him for his work, and in abituaries in the Journal of the Danish Medical Association, his other achievements are described. As the first professor from general practice in the Nordic countries at the University of Copenhagen from 1974, he managed to give general practice a cen- tral place in the medical curriculum. His work for postgraduate training for general practice, for or- ganizing day and night home visits in Copen- hagen, for medical organizations in Denmark, and for medical research in the European Community must be mentioned. He organized the f i s t multi- disciplinary group practice in Copenhagen in 1973, and he worked in this as part-time general practitioner, besides carrying out his university activities.

Paul Backer was an extraordinary giving and loyal person, full of initiatives, pushing - a stayer. He came up against a brick wall many times, but he never gave up when he burned for a certain cause or idea.

Our thoughts go to Grethe, his wife and com- panion through a challenging life - the central person in an open, hospitable home.

Bent Guttorm Bentsen

Scand J Prim Health Care 1995: 13

Scan

d J

Prim

Hea

lth C

are

Dow

nloa

ded

from

info

rmah

ealth

care

.com

by

Uni

vers

ity o

f C

alif

orni

a Ir

vine

on

10/2

6/14

For

pers

onal

use

onl

y.