Satellite symposia are an integral part of modern medical conferences, providing healthcare professionals with vital opportunities to take part in small group discussions specifically designed to meet their continuing medical education needs. They are a chance for physicians to meet and hear from other professionals in their therapy area including, if they are lucky, a renowned national or international KOL in the field.
Many public healthcare systems are based around a ‘sick care’ model where people seek and receive treatment when they fall ill. With many countries grappling a growing and ageing population (1), there is an increasing overall burden on healthcare systems per capita. One way of managing the growing demands on healthcare systems is a refocusing of resources and treatment towards a ‘preventative care’ model. In such a model, people are treated earlier, before they become ill, and they are assisted in maintaining healthy, active lifestyles.
The use of AI to aid diagnosis has been heralded increasingly often as an imminent evolution in the world of gastroenterology (1, 2). Thanks to an Italian study, in April the FDA has approved for the first time a tool for colonoscopy that helps doctors detect suspicious lesions in real time whilst performing the examination (3, 4).
Attending medical conferences is a great way for healthcare professionals to learn about the latest advances in therapies and treatments for diseases in their chosen area. Not only can Specialists listen to lectures delivered by world-renowned Key Opinion Leaders, with whom they may not normally come into contact, but they can speak directly to exhibitors, listen to abstracts, read posters, attend workshops… the benefits go on. However, attendance at these events comes at a price, both literally and figuratively.
Preceptorship meetings are a fantastic way for newly qualified healthcare professionals to build on the education they received during formal training and continue the learning process. They help smooth the transition from student to Specialist and build confidence in being able to work autonomously – all of which leads to increased quality of care and patient satisfaction.
Owing to social restrictions still in place in the continued effort to halt the COVID-19 pandemic, the next ESMO Breast Cancer Congress 2021 (5-8 May 2021) is due to take place in a fully virtual environment.
Heart failure (HF) is a pressing and illusive public health epidemic. Nearly 50% of all HF cases involve HFpEF — to which there is no defined therapy (1). As such, refining prediction and treatment of HF is a crucial step in alleviating high morbidity and mortality (2). The development of novel clinical tools and therapies that assist in the diagnosis and management of HF, such as the use of biomarkers, are essential to improving patient outcomes.
Vaccination is one of the most effective investments in global health: WHO reports that vaccines save 2–3 million lives each year, with a considerable potential for growth should worldwide coverage improve.
The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is consistently increasing, particularly in Asia and North America, as lifestyle-related conditions such as elevated blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are two key drivers. Almost 900 million people globally suffer from this condition, of whom approximately 4 million are on dialysis.1 In addition, CKD is associated with an important increase in the risk of cardiovascular complications, as well as cardiovascular and overall mortality (up to 12-fold!) compared with the general population.2,3
The annual European CME Forum is a must for anybody working in medical education. The forum brings together like-minded individuals to discuss the challenges faced over the past year, analyse success stories and share best practice. Although forced to move online this year, the organisers did a great job of keeping participants engaged throughout the course of the three-day event. Here are just a few of my top take-aways: