European Urology Today Official newsletter of the European Association of Urology OAB and BPS: Is there any common link?
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Dr. Barabara Padilla-Fernández
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Why does anti-androgen therapy fail? Prof. Norman Maitland
Vol. 27 No.3 - June/July 2015 Expanding the EAU’s reach
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Prof. Chris Chapple
United efforts needed to address Europe-wide topics The EAU Meets National Societies Meeting identifies common goals of European societies By Loek Keizer
already endorsing the EAU Guidelines, in some cases even as the primary urological guidelines within their As every year, the EAU invited Europe’s national country, the Guidelines represent a major contribution urological societies to a two-day meeting to discuss of the EAU to European urology. Recent endorsements collaboration and Europe-wide topics in the field. of the EAU Guidelines came from the British EAU Secretary General Prof. Chris Chapple welcomed Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) and the the 50 delegates to “Costa del” Noordwijk (NL), which French Association of Urology (AFU). was in the middle of a rare heat wave on 5-6 June. Of particular interest to the national societies are the Prof. Chapple introduced the meeting, setting out the potential legal implications of the national use of basic aims of the meeting and the EAU in general. European guidelines, and the desire to include “We want to represent urology in Europe, with -and experiences and recommendations from all across through- the national societies. Collaboration is Europe. essential for our field as funding diminishes.” N’Dow: “The biggest way national societies can help Prof. Chapple also commented on the need for the Guidelines office is by encouraging their members longevity of the Association, and the strength of to join the EAU. With more members, we can expect urologists in a multidisciplinary team. “We’ve set up a more financial support for the Guidelines Office. We structured leadership programme to identify new can also use the help of the national societies in leaders across Europe. We are surgeons, in danger of measuring the impact of our Guidelines, and to learn being reduced to robot technicians. The urologist who our readers are. We want to keep improving the knows the patient best, and should be the leader of a transparency of the Guidelines, with increased patient multidisciplinary team.” Prof. Chapple and all other involvement and disclosure of conflicts of interest.” speakers made clear the need for critical input from the national societies. “Tell us what we can do.” Other topics that would be of particular interest to urological societies across Europe are the scholarships that the EAU offers through its European Urological Scholarship Programme (EUSP) and the various initiatives that fall under the wings of the European School of Urology (ESU). A large variety of scholarships are available through the EUSP, from short visits to prepare for a year-long stay at a facility, to having a leading academic urologist visit hospitals and give lectures, courses and seminars. “The acceptance rate for scholarships is high, and there is a significant budget,” Prof. Maria Ribal (Barcelona, ES) stressed. Please visit uroweb.org/education/careerdevelopment/scholarship for more details on how and when to apply!
Prof. Hein Van Poppel takes the microphone into the crowd: Prof. Patrick Coloby on behalf of AFU, adds to the discussion
EAU Initiatives Members of the EAU’s board spoke in turn, highlighting the Association’s many initiatives and emphasising the possibilities for collaboration between the EAU and individual national societies. Prof. Luis Martínez-Piñeiro (Madrid, ES), chairman of the EAU Section Office mentioned the possibility for interested EAU members to become affiliates, also citing the need for new blood. The Young Urologists Office is another way for less-experienced urologists to interact with the EAU and the field in general. Affiliates can become associate members, eventually taking a position on the board of a particular section. The Young Urologists Office (YUO) is another opportunity for young urologists who do not yet have any abstracts or publications to their name. “The national societies should play an important role in communicating these possibilities that the EAU offers to their members,” Prof. Martinez-Pineiro explained.
Beside the vast amount of courses offered at the EAU’s own meetings, the European School of Urology can help national societies offer courses or state-ofthe-art lectures at their own national meetings. Hands-on training or E-BLUS courses are also available on demand. Topics for a European approach Particular emphasis was given in Noordwijk to European-level issues facing Europe’s urologists, and how the EAU can facilitate solutions on a continental basis. With increased legislation coming from the European Union, the EAU is expanding its presence in Brussels, putting urology on the agenda of the European Parliament. Informing members of the European parliament on the medical issues that they are voting on (smoking and bladder cancer is a recent example) can affect EU-wide legislation. Other issues include the release of funding for research and treatment, matters of data protection, and the establishment of a European Reference network on Urology.
The EAU Board members (foreground) and the assembled representatives of Europe’s national societies
Currently, none of the national societies have direct ties to the European Union, so the EAU finds itself in the unique position to lobby for European urologists’ interests in Brussels. Promotion of Urology as a distinct field, establishing standardised practice and influencing legislation, for example on working time directives are all issues that need to be addressed on a European level. National societies are encouraged to share with the EAU their experiences with said legislation, in order to build a case for change. Feedback from the societies On June 6th, feedback was collected from the national societies through lively break-out sessions. Topics that were of particular interest for the societies were the identity of the urologist in an increasingly multidisciplinary landscape, EU-level working time directives, and the need for the EAU to better inform urologists of its opportunities.
was that these directives had a negative impact on staff training, and these should be amended. Prof. Chapple urged the national societies to share their experiences in order to help the EAU build a case for change on a European level. Other concerns that were vocalized concerned the need (or rather, the lack of) for separate national urological Guidelines. A duplication of efforts was perceived as a waste of time by some attendees. Communication with and through national societies can be improved: awareness of the EAU’s scholarships, courses and publications is low in some countries. National societies could distribute this information to their members, translated or otherwise. Similarly, national societies can do more to speak on behalf of all of their country’s urologists. In some cases, the percentage of urologists participating with their respective national society is very low, and this makes it difficult for the EAU to engage with them as a whole.
With the treatment of urological cancers taking a lot of the spotlight, urologists are in danger of losing their specific role, certain society representatives indicated. There are problems in establishing the field, with increased cooperation with (radiation) oncologists. The EAU has always expressed the opinion that the urologist should coordinate appropriate patient care, being the closest to the patient. Meetings like the European Multidisciplinary Meeting on Urological Cancers (EMUC, in Barcelona on 12-15 November) bring all parties together and increase the collaboration in a multidisciplinary approach. There was also discussion about the working time directives. Consensus in one of the break-out sessions
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Prof. Manfred Wirth outlines the EAU’s initiatives in communications while other Executives look on
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Prof. N’Dow (Aberdeen, GB) addressed the assembled national societies’ delegates on behalf of the EAU Guidelines Office. With many national societies
Representatives from Armenia and Belarus enjoy some fresh air on an unseasonably hot day in Holland
June/July 2015
Abstract submission opens 1 July 2015 European Urology Today
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