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ADDENDUM 6
CONCEPT_
FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE UEMS SECTION/BOARD OF PATHOLOGY
1. Background of the UEMS
The objectives of the UEMS (Union européenne des medicines
specialists – European Union of medical specialists) include
the promotion of quality patient care through the harmonization
and improvement of quality of specialists’ medical care throughout
the European Union and the encouragement and facilitation of CME
for European specialists. UEMS is the oldest of the European medical
organizations founded in 1958 by medical specialists from six countries:
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.
The UEMS is an important advisory body on medical affairs to the
European Commission and the European Parliament. In this context
it produces drafts for medical directives, charters and statements
that are communicated to officials and politicians and it is active
in lobbying on matters relevant to the quality of medical care
and medical professionals.
The first of the medical directives was established in 1975 in
order to make the exchange of doctors within the European Community
possible. These directives have laid down the system of mutual
recognition and free exchange of medical diplomas. Medical directives
have mainly been concerned with basic medical education and postgraduate
training. The sectoral directives, including the doctor’s
directive, have been replaced by a general system of recognition.
The new directive on professional recognition was accepted by the
Council of Ministers in 2005. All the existing 52 specialties in
the directive remain and new specialties can be created if they
are represented in at least 2/5 of member states. In the future
the European Commission will have to consult the medical profession
i.e. the UEMS when developing the directive and training requirements.
UEMS has been very active in the field of CME/CPD. Among the corner
stones in this field are Charter on CME of Medical Specialists
in the European Union from 1994, Criteria for International Accreditation
of CME from 1999, Charter on CPD from 2001 (Basel Declaration)
and most recently UEMS document on Promoting Good Medical Care
from 2004. A major concern of the UEMS has been the structure and
facilitation of CME/CPD activities with the awarding of appropriate
credits (hours) to individual medical specialists throughout Europe.
The UEMS established the European Accreditation Council for CME
(EACCME) in order to give Europe a co-ordinated system to facilitate
such activity, without encroaching on the responsibility of national
organizations where they exist. EACCME also has a system of mutual
recognition with the American Medical Association. Over 1000 CME
events were accredited through EACCME in 2007 and the number is
increasing.
2. Specialist Sections and Boards
The backbone of UEMS is its European Specialist Sections and their
European Boards. There are 37 Sections and Boards representing
the majority of European specialties. The Specialist Sections consist
of two delegates per member state that represent the national professional
organization for medical specialist in a particular specialty.
So, in the Section of Pathology the UK is represented by two delegates
that are selected by the Royal College of Pathology. The representatives
of The Netherlands are selected by the Dutch Society of Pathology,
which combines professional and scientific interests. As the Sections
felt the necessity to dispose of knowledge and insight of the relevant
developments within their specialty the construction of European
Specialist Section and Board was created by the UEMS in order to
be able to incorporate members with specific expertise. In the
UEMS Section and Board of Pathology this is applicable to representatives
of the European Society of Pathology (ESP), the European Association
of Junior Doctors (ESJD), The European Federation of Cytological
Societies (EFCS) in combination with the International Academy
of Cytology (IAC), Forensic Pathology and the European Confederation
of European Neuropathological Societies (Euro-CNS).
Major activities of the Section and Board of Pathology include
harmonization on quality criteria to assure a proper pathology
practice in Europe, basic training requirements for residents,
rules for post-graduate training and accreditation of training
institutions, and an assessment on required competences by an annual
European Board of Pathology Examination. A survey on the manpower
of pathology staff and residents was held, which will be updated
in the future. The results were published in the scientific journal
of the ESP. Position papers were produced, e.g. about the position
of the autopsy in medical practice and communicated with the Council
of the UEMS. Currently the Section and Board of Pathology is active
in the process to revise the Charter on specialist training.
Currently cytology or cytopathology is incorporated in the teaching
program of anatomical pathology in most European countries. As
a result, the minimal requirements of experience in cytopathology
has been defined in the Charter on training of pathologists. The
status of neuropathology varies among different countries, in most
it is considered a subspecialty of pathology. The Confederation
of European Neuropathological Societies has been active in CME,
a European Neuropathological Examination and the delineation of
a neuropathology training program. The Section and Board of Pathology
will continue to provide a constructive platform for exchange of
knowledge and insights on professional matters for neuropathology
by a fruitful collaboration with the European Neuropathological
Societies.
3. New developments
a) Recently the European Association of Pathology Chairs and Residency
Program Directors (EAPCP) was founded in order to create a European
network of professionals responsible for the quality of the execution
of the pathology training program in their institutes. The EAPCP
is active in the preparation of the description of training objectives
and specialist competences and of a European progress test, allowing
trainees to self-evaluate and training bodies all over Europe to
compare training outcomes. The EAPCP and the UEMS Section and Board
of Pathology have agreed to aim at a fruitful mutual collaboration.
b) The UEMS Sections and Boards of Dermato-Venerology and Pathology
have agreed on the installation of an international dermatopathology
examination under the direction of the International Committee
for Dermatopathology (ICDP). In this context the dermatopathology
examination has taken place in 2005, 2006, and 2007 with broad
international interest and good results. Both UEMS Sections and
Boards applaud this examination and regard it as an excellent instrument
to improve the quality of dermatopathology. Recently the ICDP has
formulated guidelines for Training Centers in Dermatopathology,
that already have been approved by the Section and Board of Dermatovenerology.
4. Proposal for structural collaboration
a) Given the complementary aims and competences of the UEMS Section
and Board of Pathology, the EAPCP and the ESP, it is important
that these bodies engage in a durable collaboration, assuring
proper input from the relevant stakeholders and representing
the interests of pathology as a medical discipline adequately.
Therefore it is proposed that the EAPCP acts as a bridge between
the ESP, providing scientific and educational input, and the
UEMS Section and Board of Pathology, providing professional input
on the European level. In this structure, two EAPCP members would
represent the EAPCP in the UEMS Section and Board of Pathology
and in the Executive Committee of the ESP.
b) Regarding dermatopathology, one of the delegates of the UEMS
Section and Board that has a special interest in this particular
field would an active member of the ICDP as well. As dermatopathology
is considered as an integral part of diagnostic pathology a special
position within the UEMS Section and Board of Pathology is not
applicable.
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