Abstract Submission: Australasian Fundamentals of Care Symposium

THEME FOR SYMPOSIUM & ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS

Fundamentals of Care: Sustaining Momentum, Strengthening Measurement, Showing Impact

The ILC Symposium 2027 in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand will focus on how we can sustain momentum in advancing person-centred fundamental care, strengthen the ways we measure its delivery and outcomes, and demonstrate its impact on people, families, communities, and health systems.

Building on the growing international commitment to the Fundamentals of Care Framework, the symposium will bring together researchers, educators, clinicians, leaders, policymakers, and people with lived experience to explore how fundamental care can be embedded, evaluated, and improved across diverse healthcare settings. As healthcare systems face increasing complexity and workforce pressures, there is an urgent need to ensure that fundamental care remains visible, measurable, and valued.

The symposium will examine how robust evidence, innovative measurement approaches, implementation science, education, and leadership can strengthen the delivery of person-centred care. Particular attention will be given to demonstrating the impact of fundamental care on patient experiences, staff wellbeing, quality outcomes, and system performance.

At its heart, the symposium is about connecting evidence with action: building capability, strengthening partnerships, and showcasing innovations that support sustainable improvement in fundamental care. Together, participants will share knowledge, challenge assumptions, and advance practical solutions that ensure fundamental care remains at the centre of healthcare policy, practice, education, and research.

We encourage you to submit abstracts which explore this theme and think about the following sub themes when preparing your abstract. When submitting your abstract, please consider that it will be judged regarding how well it fits within the theme of the conference.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION THEMES

1. Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through Fundamental Care: Equity, Partnership and Systems Transformation
   Advancing equitable, culturally safe, and relationship-based fundamental care through commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership with Māori, patients, whānau, communities, and people with lived experience. Exploring Indigenous perspectives, health equity, co-design, policy, strategy, service design, and system-level approaches that shape the future of fundamental care.
2. Sustaining and Leading Improvement 
   Embedding, implementing, scaling, and sustaining fundamental care across practice, education, organisations, and health systems. Exploring leadership, workforce development, organisational culture, change management, and implementation strategies that enable meaningful and lasting improvement.
3. Demonstrating Impact 
   Examining the impact of fundamental care on patient and whānau experiences, health outcomes, equity outcomes, staff wellbeing, quality and safety, organisational performance, and health system outcomes.
4. Building Knowledge and Capability 
   Generating evidence through research, innovation, mātauranga Māori informed approaches, co-design, and knowledge translation, while strengthening education, curriculum design, professional development, and future workforce capability in fundamental care.
5. Measuring Fundamentals of Care 
   Advancing methods, indicators, metrics, measurement tools, and evaluation approaches to assess the delivery, quality, equity, and outcomes of fundamental care across settings and populations.

For more information please review the
2027 Symposium Submission Guidelines 

and complete the form below to submit your abstract by November 20, 2026 11:59pm, Australian Central Standard time (GMT+9:30):

Please only submit a maximum of 3 separate abstract submissions per lead author. 

You may choose to use this template when completing your abstract so that no important information is missed. 

KEY DATES

23 September: Call for Abstracts Open

20 November: Abstract Submissions Close

4 December: Abstracts notified of outcome