The upcoming annual meeting of the European Society of Radiology (ESR; 28 February – March 4, 2018, in Vienna, Austria) has adopted the motto ‘Diverse and United’ and will feature a brand new programme format titled “Interventional Radiology at the Cube”.
In 2018, the most spectacular of the new ECR entrants will be “Interventional Radiology at the Cube”, a press release from ESR states. The new programme is intended to introduce young radiologists to the fascinating subspecialty of interventional radiology, and to provide enhanced knowledge to radiologists who need the subspecialty in their everyday professional life. Lectures and hands-on workshops will focus on interaction with the participants, simulating clinical routine and concentrating on practice-oriented contents. For the new project, rooms in a nearby church have been rented and a contemporary architectural cube has been created, which gives rise to the name.
The press release also draws attention to The “Coffee and Talk” sessions are another new format. In a relaxed atmosphere in one of the Austria Center’s stylish lounges, short lectures and discussions will be offered on topics such as clinical decision support, challenges for department chairs, undergraduate teaching of radiology, radiation protection, and imaging biobanks. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to stop by and contribute to the informal discussions while sipping their coffee or tea.
Another format, the ‘My Thesis in 3 minutes – MyT3’ sessions provide a platform for residents and young radiologists who would like to present their thesis as a first author, in a dynamic and entertaining scientific session. For this format a new location, the Sky High Stage, overlooking the Austria Center and providing a magnificent view of Vienna from the top of the nearby Saturn Tower, has been made available.
ECR 2018 will put the focus on the latest and hottest topics in radiology as well as on basic knowledge and training at the highest level.
“The current hot topics in radiology are big data; challenges and risks when dealing with ever larger amounts and varieties of data; artificial intelligence; and radiomics. These are exciting issues that we have to deal with in the near future by recognising the potential these developments have for us in terms of improving the quality of our work and patient care. We need not fear them as threats – I firmly believe that radiologists will always have a pivotal role in both diagnostic and interventional therapeutic patient management. Moreover, I also firmly believe that our specialty will benefit from these developments. Innovations mean advancement – a case in point in radiology is hybrid imaging, which will be another focus at ECR 2018,” ESR President Professor Bernd Hamm from the Charité, Berlin.
To make it more widely accessible, the ECR will again broadcast nearly every lecture via live web streams on ECR Online, a service delegates have used increasingly since its introduction four years ago. Lectures will also be available to watch on demand afterwards. This option will make it possible for delegates who are not able to attend a session in person to catch up on its content afterwards.
