– I was very proud of Diakonhjemmet Hospital during the EULAR congress, says NKRR leader, Nina Østerås. Our people were very visible with many good contributions. Everyone did a very good job, with professional contributions, even those who stepped in at short notice , she says.
There were 30 different contributions from Diakonhjemmet Hospital out of the 50 that were accepted from Norway.
50 Norwegian contributions
Rikke Helene Moe knows EULAR well from the inside, as she sits on the EULAR Advocacy Committee and on the board of the research foundation FOREUM. She also leads the study group for physical activity and exercise and has previously led the HPR committee for 4 years and been a member of the Congress Committee. In 2021, she became an honorary member of EULAR.
– There were many great contributions from Norway this year, and I think it was extra fun to see so many people discussing results, similarities and differences, projects and ideas with colleagues from other countries who are interested in the same thing, says Rikke.
– The various committees, and the Congress Committee in particular, are responsible for the academic program. They must adapt to the opportunities, limitations and legislation of the different host nations, says Moe.
“Everything will look a little different next summer, when the congress is held in Vienna. It will be exciting,” she says.
12,500 participants
More than 4,500 abstracts were considered for this year's congress. There were 12,500 physical participants and 300 who participated digitally from different countries around the world.
Moe says that in recent years EULAR has increasingly focused on putting together sessions with a clear common thread and using formats with more dialogue and networking opportunities. – In recent years, a tradition has also been established with “shared” sessions and committees that have been challenged to create sessions in different parts of the EULAR program.
– One of this year's examples was a popular session on exercise and rheumatic disease in the classic Rheumatologist section of the program, says Moe.
EULAR focuses on research and education, user participation at all levels, and collaboration with other major players such as the EU, WHO, and ACR. The annual congress is just one of its activities.
Traditionally, EULAR rested on three pillars; patient organizations (PARE), doctors (Scientific) and other health professionals (HPR). These three pillars have their committees that work on a voluntary basis throughout the year, among other things to make the congress program as good as possible for all participants. In the last 5 years, the organization has changed. There are now four Representation Committees; PARE, HPR, EMEUNET (young healthcare professionals) and PAED (Pediatrics) and 5 Content Committees which consist of a mix of people with different professional backgrounds in addition to people from the different representation committees; Advocacy, Congress, Education, Quality of Care and Research. These committees are assisted by many hundreds of volunteer experts in rheumatology to carry out all of EULAR's activities.
EULAR's top management is an elected board consisting of 4 rheumatologists and one representative from each of the 3 original pillars (organizations representing healthcare professionals in rheumatology, patient organizations, and rheumatologist organizations).
It is a common misconception that these pillars work separately. The 5 content committees have participants from all 4 representation committees, to ensure quality, breadth, usefulness, and interaction.
EULAR presented its new strategy during the opening, which is a common part of the program. Representatives from all EULAR committees, as well as specially invited resource persons from other major organizations, have been involved in preparing it. The strategy will serve as a guiding star for EULAR's decisions and initiatives in the next period.
In the period 2018-2023, EULAR has experienced significant growth and professionalization in many areas. The new strategy builds on the previous strategy, the new organization and increased experience with digital solutions. The strategy for the period 2024-2028 is driven by a vision of a world where all people with RMDs are recognized, diagnosed and receive preventive or curative treatment. To achieve this vision, EULAR's mission is to minimize the impact of RMDs at both the individual and societal levels. EULAR contributes in the areas of education, awareness, treatment, prevention and research in the field of RMDs.
EULAR's visionary goals require clear leadership. EULAR will increase the visibility of RMDs and influence national and international health policy decisions. The organization also aims to play a leading role in innovation in the RMD field.
EULAR's ambitions require the necessary expertise among researchers and clinicians to strengthen treatment options for people with RMDs. EULAR will support personal and professional development to improve skills and competence, contributing to personal professional growth through the establishment of a framework for competence and the provision of education. There will be a particular focus on rheumatologists, healthcare professionals and user advocates early in their careers.
It will be exciting to see how this new overall strategy will shape the selection of activities, projects and the program at the congress in the coming years.
