EFSUMB Newsletter
European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
EFSUMB President’s Newsletter March 2019 A considerable amount of change within EFSUMB is currently ongoing and it is important that I use this opportunity to inform all members of the proposed changes to take into account several events. These issues are so important that without action the society itself may no longer exist in the future. I think we can all agree that the existence of EFSUMB is essential given the role on the international stage of ultrasound and the pivotal influence we have on the global practice of ultrasound. Some background information is essential to fully understand the position the society finds itself in, with changes that will need to be implemented in order to sustain a viable future. The constitution for EFSUMB was drawn up by the founder members in Basle, Switzerland in 1972, with the founding member societies being Austria, Belgium, Finland (resigned 2013), France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Others joined soon after, 1974 – Italy, Greece, Denmark and 1975 – Norway and the UK. EFSUMB was founded on the principle of independent national societies forming a federation to promote research and interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of ultrasound. This principle extended to representation within the WFUMB, as an integral part of the EFSUMB constitution. National society members would declare the membership of the entire society and pay a levy for each individual member, currently set a 7 Euros, part of which was a subscription to WFUMB. With this in place income allowed for managing the society according to the founding aims. EFSUMB was set up as a charity in the United Kingdom, seen to be a favourable setting for no taxation related to activities for education. This has served EFSUMB
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well, and we are currently in a stable financial position, albeit needing to demonstrate that the activities performed maintain the charitable status. This explains the UK based address of EFSUMB, an essential requirement for this process. The downside is that the Executive Bureau (ExB) are responsible for the financial activities and are answerable to the charity commission should things go wrong! Hence good governance and a robust audit system are in place with accountants reviewing the “books” every year. The accounts are visible on the EFSUMB website for all to review. The policy of all members of the national society being members of EFSUMB had obvious advantages in 1972 when the practice of ultrasound was so limited in comparison to the explosion we see today. A single society was usually the only national society in the country. This is very different today, and nobody in 1972 would have imagined the situation today, with millions of ultrasound users, in many areas of medicine not normal bedfellows. This brings into sharp focus the almost archaic set up of EFSUMB and the need to change – nearly ½ a century on from the first meeting of those ultrasound pioneers. The important change has come about by the decision of SGUM, the ultrasound society of Switzerland, a founder member of EFSUMB, not to declare all members of the national society as members of EFSUMB. Let me emphasise that this was a process imposed on the society by external governmental sources, with members obliged to declare they wished to be members of EFSUMB actively and not by default. Only 16 % of members joined EFSUMB. This is of course a poor reflection on the activities of EFSUMB that we are not seen as important to many people, but also presented a constitutional crisis to the ExB – according
to the constitution SGUM could no longer be the representative society, and would cease to be a member with no voting rights! However, we had no constitution provision for individuals’ members to join, and the members from Switzerland indicating they wished to remain had no place! According to the EFSUMB constitution, if any country had 6 members or more, they had to form a national society, and apply to EFSUMB as a national body. However, the constitution only allows for a single member national society. EFSUMB has to face the facts of change over the last 50 years in ultrasound, the founding principles have changed, but outstanding work of EFSUMB needs to continue. But it is pertinent that many members of SGUM have chosen not to continue membership, and this situation may be repeated with other national societies obliged to follow local laws and procedures. There must be action to make EFSUMB an attractive society based on the founding principles to promote ultrasound. That EFSUMB does good work is not disputable; the website, the EUROSON Schools, the guidelines and statements, and most importantly an almost unique position and authority on the safety of ultrasound. What EFSUMB has not done is to promote this good work to its very own members! This was realised with the low “re-joining” from SGUM and the disquiet within DEGUM. It is very important the EFSUMB is your society and not the property of the ExB or any other committee and should be run at the bequest of members. In order to get a better idea of the current climate and future direction, the ExB has commissioned two tasks; an on line member survey and a Task Force Group, to have visualization of
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members feelings and to implement an overall of the structure and forward direction of the society. We had a limited response to the survey, but several themes have emerged, many known from recent events, and others not so apparent. One strong theme is communication to the members from the ExB, and another is to clearly depict the finances; it was a common misconception that money was spent on unnecessary travel which is firmly not true; the accounts are very clear on this. The task group has met and made many recommendations for change. One common theme was the accessibility to the website, currently ‘free’ to all members and nonmembers alike, this will be changed. The possibility of individual members will be addressed; the position of more than one
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national society will also be addressed. A particular issue with the smaller societies was representation on the various committees and the ExB, which they see dominated by the countries favoured by the voting system that prevails in the society; the block voting denies representation to smaller societies. A rotating EUROSON Congress was seen to be outdated. There was no place in the society for sections of ultrasound practitioners in gynaecology. The interests of general practitioners in clinical ultrasound was not represented adequately in the activities and structures of EFSUMB. It is evident change is very overdue, but to be able to make change that is entirely appropriate for everybody will not be practicable, many will like the changes, others will be indifferent, and some will leave the society. This is inevitable, and must be
faced, as the current situation is not fit for purpose, but change is needed in the best direction for as many as possible. To this effect, the ExB in collaboration with the task force group will present constitutional change to the Board of Delegates in Granada at the EUROSON Congress, and if passed will seek to implement change immediately thereafter. I will bring you the results of this change shortly following the congress with a view to hopefully starting a new chapter for EFSUMB.
Paul Sidhu London, UK
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Visit efsumb.org to view the Euroson School programmes
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EFSUMB Webinar CEUS
Chair Paul Sidhu Percutaneous focal ablations Luigi Solbiati Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) Ernst-Michael Jung High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Prof. Cindy Angel
EFSUMB Webinar Elastography Small Parts
Pancreas & Chair Adrian Saftoiu GI Track Kim Nylund Lymph Nodes Christian Jenssen Spleen Horia Stefanescu If you miss the webinars you can watch it on the EFSUMB webinar archive http://www.efsumb.org/blog/webinar-archive-2
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WFUMB 2019 Melbourne, Australia Speakers Tom Marwick and Carlos Martinoli announced, and the Young Investigators’ Award Over 120 ultrasound experts 35 international speakers Don’t miss out!
Keynote speaker – Welcome Professor Carlo Martinoli ASUM are proud to sponsor Professor Carlo Martinoli, known as one of the most prominent teachers in musculoskeletal ultrasound, as a keynote to present in the MSK and Rheumatology sessions at WFUMB 2019. Prof. Martinoli is the author of a preeminent textbook on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound and has published over 230 scientific articles in international peer reviewed medical journals. A renowned speaker, Prof. Martinoli has held over one thousand invited lectures at international courses or congresses; and is the founder of the International Society of Peripheral Neurophysiological Imaging (ISPNI), a multidisciplinary society that aims to forward global education and research in peripheral nerve imaging. Prof. Martinoli’s presentations will include: ▪ Ultrasound of the rotator cuff interval and biceps tendon ▪ Ultrasound of the Anterolateral Hip’ ▪ Ultrasound of nerve tumours and tumour-like masses Register for early bird tickets!
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WFUMB Young Investigators’ Award The $2000 USD WFUMB Young Investigators’ Award will be presented at WFUMB 2019. From oral and poster abstracts submissions will be shortlisted abstracts from those under 35 years of age, to be invited to present at a dedicated session at the Congress, and may also be invited to present in relative streams
Keynote speaker – Welcome Professor Thomas Marwick, MBBS, PhD, MPH Professor Tom Marwick, MBBS, PhD, MPH, will open the Cardiac stream of the WFUMB 2019 Congress on Sunday 8 September in a session titled “Echocardiography: The Big Picture”. This presentation will explore QC in the echo lab; guidelines in the real world; improving training and accreditation for cardiologists in Australia; and the global challenge of early detection of RHD. Prof. Marwick completed training in medicine and cardiology in Australia, before undertaking an Imaging Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, a PhD at the University of Louvain, Belgium and a Masters in Public Health at Harvard. Currently the Director of Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Prof. Marwick has divided his career mostly between Australia and the USA.
One of the initiators of stress echocardiography, Prof. Marwick contributions to the industry have been significant including contributions to the prognostic evidence underlying cardiovascular imaging; clinical research and research training; and supervision of approximately 30 research higher degree students, including 22 completed PhDs. The author of over 650 published papers, reviews, chapters and editorials and recipient of more than 50 significant research grants and several awards, Prof. Marwick’s main current research interests relate to the detection of early cardiovascular disease and cost-effective application of cardiac imaging techniques for treatment selection and monitoring. Register for early bird tickets! Book your tickets and head to Melbourne for a massive meeting! You’re invited… Assoc. Prof George Condous, ASUM Board of Directors Member and WFUMB Global Scientific Committee Convenor, looks forward to seeing you at WFUMB 2019 for the world congress in ultrasound. Prof Condous reminds you to get your papers in, get your abstracts in, and book your tickets! WFUMB 2019, Melbourne, 6 – 9 September 2019. www.wfumb2019.org
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EFSUMB recent publications The Use of Handheld Ultrasound Devices – An EFSUMB Position Paper from the EFSUMB Publications Committee author Michael Bachmann Nielsen https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/pdf/10.1055/a-0783– 2303.pdf
ECMUS has prepared a short document about important facts to know before such a device may be used for clinical purpose or what should be considered before purchasing it. The PDF-document can be downloaded from the EFSUMB website http://www. efsumb.org/blog/archives/885
What should I know about my smart hand-held ultrasound device?
Recommendations and Information about regulatory aspects related to the use of hand-held ultrasound devices
A lot of different types of hand-held ultrasound devices are now entering the market.
THE EFSUMB GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CLINICAL PRACTICE
OF ELASTOGRAPHY IN NON-HEPATIC APPLICATIONS: UPDATE 2018 (LONG VERSION) has been accepted for publication in Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound Please check the link from the EFSUMB website www.efsumb.org
Future congresses
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