New opportunities for partnership between radiology and radiation oncology

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Since the discovery of the x-ray, radiology and radiation oncology have been sister disciplines. Recent progress has brought increasing points of interaction between the two and this is no better exemplified than by the close relationship between the ESR and the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO). The two societies will host a joint session at ECR 2015 focusing on this partnership and opportunities for future collaboration. To find out more about the session, ECR Today spoke to session co-chairman and ESTRO president, Prof. Philip Poortmans, of the Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Prof. Philip Poortmans, President of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, will moderate today’s joint session on radiology and radiation oncology.

Prof. Philip Poortmans, President of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology, will moderate today’s joint session on radiology and radiation oncology.

ECR Today: How was this joint session between the ESR and ESTRO first initiated?
Philip Poortmans: The time of medical specialties working on their own is over. It is now all about cooperation and multidisciplinarity. Often when we talk about multidisciplinarity, people think only about doctors who are directly involved in treating the patient. In the case of breast cancer, for example, this would then be the surgeon, the radiation oncologist, the medical oncologist and in several countries also the gynaecologist. People often forget about diagnostic specialists like the pathologist and the radiologist. Radiation oncology is very closely linked to imaging in general; both to radiology and to nuclear medicine. So it is a field that is very important for us and a specialty with which it is essential for us to cooperate closely. For many years, ESTRO has run courses with contributions from radiologists and nuclear medicine specialists to teach our young colleagues, or colleagues who want CME, about the contribution of the diagnostic specialties. So this is not new at all. ESTRO and the ESR have an especially close relationship, with the former president of ESTRO, Prof. Vincenzo Valentini, and the ESR president, Prof. Lorenzo Bonomo, working in the same hospital. People in such positions who know each other very well can facilitate this process of close collaboration which then benefits us all. Of course, this means that last year we already had a joint session at the ECR. This collaboration is based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by both societies, which includes agreements about education, guidelines, and scientific dissemination. A congress is of course always a mixture of both scientific dissemination, bringing new findings to the community, and education, so this nicely fits our mutual commitment.

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Seven things you need to know about ECR 2015

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One thing you can say about the ECR is that every year there is always something new. The ESR loves to innovate, and this year is a great example of that, with a number of changes in place that will make ECR 2015 an even better congress experience than before. Here we take you through some of the most important new additions, as well as a couple of other vital things to take note of.

The ESR Walk of Fame, in the entrance hall at ECR 2015, features some of the stars of the society's first ten years

The ESR Walk of Fame, in the entrance hall at ECR 2015, features some of the stars of the society’s first ten years

1. The ESR’s Tenth Anniversary
The European Society of Radiology was founded in February 2005, so we’re celebrating our tenth anniversary at the ECR. This will be most noticeable in the entrance hall, where you’ll be able to take the ESR Walk of Fame, featuring the stars of the ESR’s first ten years, as well as some of the society’s brightest moments. You’ll also be able to collect your own star from the membership desk (in front of the big flower pot) and stick it to our ESR Wall of Fame

2. Electronic Evaluation
This year, ECR session evaluation and CME acquisition has gone completely digital, saving a huge amount of paper and making the whole system a lot more flexible. Delegates can now complete an online questionnaire for every session, which is accessible via the official ECR 2015 App (available from Tuesday, March 3), on more than 160 laptops in the ECR Live & EPOS Lounge, at the registration counters, and at special CME & Evaluation terminals on the first level.

3. New Session Formats
The number of different educational session types has grown and grown over the years. This year, the programme has been simplified, with the majority now grouped under the heading E³ – European Excellence in Education and divided into five branches reflecting the different stages of an individual’s professional career. Congress President, Prof. Bernd Hamm explains the concept here.

4. Best Paper Awards
Not only are there more scientific sessions this year, but at the end of each one, smartphones and mobile device users will be able to vote for their favourite presentation via an online voting tool. The most popular presentation will be awarded a certificate by the session moderators.

The ESR is launching its new eLearning platform at ECR 2015

The ESR is launching its new eLearning platform at ECR 2015

5. Education On Demand
The ESR is launching its brand new eLearning platform Education On Demand at ECR 2015. The platform is packed with online educational resources to suit radiologists at every stage of their career, but most significantly for attendees, it also hosts the self-assessment tests for numerous E3 sessions (see point 1, above) at the congress. Bookmark learn.myesr.org and prepare to assess yourself!

6. ECR Live
Just as last year, more than 1,500 presentations will be streamed online during the congress, completely free of charge via ECR Live. And, just like last year, most of those presentations will also be available to watch on demand from the following day onward. Whether you couldn’t make it to Vienna and want to keep up with what’s going on at Europe’s biggest imaging meeting, or you’re at the congress and want to catch something you missed, there’s just one place you need to go: live.myesr.org

7. Social Media Wall
Once again, the ECR Social Media Wall brings all ECR-related social media activity together in one place. Every time someone uses the #ECR2015 hashtag on Twitter, that tweet will appear on all of the many screens throughout the congress venue, as well as the online stream. Plus, we again have an individual wall for every room being streamed on ECR Live. To join the conversation in any room, just add the room name to the hashtag (e.g. #ECR2015B, #ECR2015D1, #ECR2015MB5) or use ECR Live’s integrated chat function.

Interview: Prof. Birgit Ertl-Wagner, chair of the ESR Education Committee

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Many ESR projects fit into the category of education, so it is no surprise that the society’s Education Committee is one of its most active. We spoke to Prof. Birgit Ertl-Wagner, who has chaired the committee since March 2012, to find out a little more about its activities.

ESR Office: What is the overall purpose of the ESR Education Committee and how does it operate?
Birgit Ertl-Wagner: The Education Committee serves as an advisory body for all educational topics within the ESR. Major goals of the committee are the establishment of structures for both undergraduate and postgraduate radiology education and the harmonisation of training in radiology across Europe.

The committee is composed of several subcommittees covering – among other things – training assessment and undergraduate education. Also, the Radiology Trainees Forum is associated with the Education Committee. The committee and the various subcommittees hold meetings on a regular basis, mostly online. We also always meet in person during the ECR.

Prof. Birgit Ertl-Wagner, chair of the ESR Education Committee

Prof. Birgit Ertl-Wagner, professor of radiology and section chief for magnetic resonance imaging at the Institute of Clinical Radiology, University of Munich – Grosshadern Campus, and chair of the ESR Education Committee

ESR: What is your background within the ESR committee structure and what motivates you to be involved?
BEW: I first became involved in the ESR committee structure as a member of the audit and standards subcommittee. Subsequently, I chaired the European Training Assessment Program (ETAP), which is a subcommittee of the Education Committee. Since March 2012, I have chaired the Education Committee.

My motivation to be involved in the ESR stems from my firm belief that a strong cooperation and collaboration between European radiologists will help us to better serve our patients and to augment radiology and healthcare as a whole. Moreover, I am also convinced that an outreach beyond the borders of Europe also enhances the manifold benefits that radiology brings to our societies. Last but not least, education is an ideal vehicle to shape the future of radiology and to create a “Radiology without Borders” – to quote the motto of ECR 2015.

ESR: What are the main issues currently on the committee’s agenda, and how are they being tackled?
BEW: There are many activities currently on the committee´s agenda. One of the priorities of the Education Committee is the harmonisation of radiology in Europe. To reach this end, a detailed European Training Curriculum (ETC) for radiology training levels I and II has been developed, which will serve as a model for the development of national curricula. The ESR encourages a five-year training period in radiology with three years allocated to level I and two years for level II. Together with the subspecialty societies we are currently developing a level III curriculum for full subspecialty training after the completion of radiology training. Moreover, we are developing a U-level curriculum as a model for teaching curricula in radiology for undergraduate medical education. In addition, many other projects such as the accreditation of training schemes in radiology are currently underway.

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Jul 2014
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Interview: Dr. E. Jane Adam, chair of the ESR Quality, Safety & Standards Committee

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One of the ESR’s statutory committees underwent two subtle changes earlier this year; its interim chair was officially elected as chairperson, and its name was changed. We spoke to Dr. E. Jane Adam, Chair of the newly re-named ESR Quality, Safety and Standards Committee, to find out a little bit about her role, the committee’s function, and some of the key items on its agenda.

ESR Office: What is the overall purpose of the ESR Quality, Safety and Standards (QSS) Committee and how does it operate?
E. Jane Adam: The committee has several subcommittees and working groups covering radiation protection, audit and standards, management in radiology, e-health and informatics, ethics, ultrasound and a European Medicines Agency task force. They are all active in their various areas, undertaking projects, producing documents on behalf of the ESR, and liaising with other organisations. However, the aim of the committee as a whole is to promote high standards of radiology and, by working together, with cross fertilisation of ideas, the committee becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

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Dr. E. Jane Adam, consultant in diagnostic radiology at St. George’s Hospital, London, and chair of the ESR Quality, Safety & Standards Committee.

ESR: What is your background within the ESR committee structure and what motivates you to be involved?
EJA: I first became involved in the work of the ESR when I became chair of the Audit and Standards Subcommittee when it was first formed. This probably came about because I had chaired both the audit and standards committees of the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK. I have more recently been elected to chair the ‘parent’ QSS Committee. I have a long standing interest in these topics, and also wider professional issues in radiology from being chairman of a very large radiology department where I became very aware of the challenges for radiologists when the demands on radiology departments are increasing all the time, expectations are extremely high, and we rarely have the resources or manpower which we would like in order to provide the highest quality service.

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Sunday’s sessions for radiographers

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This year’s ECR programme features another great selection of sessions aimed at radiographers. ECR Today spoke to Jonathan McNulty, co-chairman of the ECR 2014 radiographers subcommittee, and Prof. Graciano Paulo, president of the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS), for their views on the sessions taking place on Sunday.

RC 1214: How important are state-of-the-art displays to radiology?
Watch it on ECR Live: Sunday, March 9, 08:30–10:00, room BRA
Tweet #ECR2014BRA #RC1214

Jonathan McNulty: Most of the technology we use now in Europe is digital, so what this session aims to look at is the state-of-the-art displays we are using today in medical imaging. Their quality is essential so that we continue to be able to pick up on the most subtle anatomical and pathological detail in our images, so the resolution and contrast specifications are important, as are design features that help minimise reflection or glare. A lot of research and design goes into the primary class displays that radiologists use to report from, because that report is vital and can change things dramatically for a patient if a pathology is picked up or missed. There has also been a lot of discussion about handheld devices and the appropriateness of using iPads, other tablets, smartphones or PDAs to view radiology images. Dr. Rachel Toomey, one of the speakers in this session, has done quite a lot of research looking at such devices, which can be very good for reviewing certain types of radiological images but are far from suitable for others.

So this session is going to show what the primary class displays are capable of and why we use them; what the advantages of the more portable devices are and when they can be used appropriately; and then the final presentation will look at quality assurance. Whatever display you use, whether it is a primary class display, a smartphone, or a regular PC monitor, what do we need to keep in mind? What are the quality assurance requirements for clinical use? What do we need to do to on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to make sure that our displays are not dropping below their peak performance level?

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“Cooperation, not competition,” say speakers ahead of ESR Meets ESC session

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Watch this session on ECR Live: Saturday, March 8, 16:00–17:30, Room B
Tweet #ECR2014B #EM3

At each ECR Since 2007, the ‘ESR meets’ programme has included a partner discipline along with the three guest countries, as a way to build formal bridges between the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and other branches of medicine, and to give congress participants an opportunity to learn about something a little different. At ECR 2014, the programme includes a visit from undoubtedly the largest medical discipline to take part in the initiative so far: cardiology, represented by one of the biggest medical societies in Europe, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Cardiology has much in common with radiology, but this is the first time that the two European societies have come together for an official joint session at a major meeting.

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Radiographers sessions on Saturday

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This year’s ECR programme features another great selection of sessions aimed at radiographers. ECR Today spoke to Jonathan McNulty, co-chairman of the ECR 2014 radiographers subcommittee, and Prof. Graciano Paulo, president of the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS), for their views on the sessions taking place on Saturday.

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New York schools celebrate day of awareness for radiology

Following the launch of the first International Day of Radiology in November last year, the field of radiology now has another special day to celebrate. During the opening session of an annual science day in New York, USA, marking its tenth anniversary, organiser Prof. Hedvig Hricak and her colleagues were presented with a proclamation officially declaring April 19, 2013, Radiology/Science Careers Awareness and Exploration Day for High School Juniors.

Proclamation certificate presented to Dr. Hedvig Hricak and colleagues

Proclamation certificate presented to Dr. Hedvig Hricak and colleagues

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May 2013
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Rise of mobile technology brings risks as well as benefits

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Watch this session on ECR Live: Monday, March 11, 16:00–17:30, Room F1
Tweet #ECR2013F1 #SF19

Tablet computers can be a surprisingly divisive subject. The passion with which some people argue the relative merits of competing devices and operating systems can be almost frightening. In the field of medicine, however, there appears to be very little argument about the top product, with professionals from many disciplines enthusiastically embracing the iPad as a tool for research, education and general communication. Instead the most important debate is focused elsewhere, on matters of data security and patient privacy.

As mobile technology spreads throughout the hospital, data naturally follows, and it is slowly falling into the hands of an increasingly broad spectrum of people. Radi-ologists and clinicians therefore need to be aware, not just of the many mobile applications and resources that can potentially aid their work, but of the associated risks and best practices concerning the use of tablet technology.

Dr. Erik Ranschaert (left – pictured here with Dr. Jan Schillebeeckx) from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, will speak on mobile telera-diology with tablet computers in this Special Focus Session

Dr. Erik Ranschaert (left – pictured here with Dr. Jan Schillebeeckx) from ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, will speak on mobile telera-diology with tablet computers in this Special Focus Session

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Advances in forensic imaging bring new opportunities for radiology

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Watch this session on ECR Live: Sunday, March 10, 14:00–15:30, Room Z

The ability to spot pathological imaging findings among normal post-mortem signs of degeneration may not be a universal skill among radiologists, but it could prove to be a useful, if not essential one. As the reliability of modern forensic imaging rapidly improves, forensic pathologists are increasingly seeking the help of radiologists to examine bodies non-invasively, so they should be prepared to answer that call, according to experts who will speak in a Special Focus Session on ‘Advances in forensic imaging’ today. The development of techniques such as spiral volumetric CT and, more recently, MRI, have dramatically improved the ability of radiologists to determine causes of death and detect other crucial post-mortem signs, providing an invaluable service that can supplement, and in some cases replace, traditional autopsy.

Bone and metal maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction (a) and volume-rendered (VR) 3D-CT reconstruction (b). Homicidal death: characteristic bony and metallic fragments on the exit side of the skull, where the bullet caused a large loss of brain, leading to shattering of the skull.

Bone and metal maximum intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction (a) and volume-rendered (VR) 3D-CT reconstruction (b). Homicidal death: characteristic bony and metallic fragments on the exit side of the skull, where the bullet caused a large loss of brain, leading to shattering of the skull.

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Mar 2013
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