ECR 2022: Building Bridges

Professor Regina Beets-Tan

Image source: ESR

“Building Bridges” will be the theme of this year’s European Congress of Radiology. 'This represents my vision for the future of radiology,' Professor Regina Beets-Tan, President of the ECR 2022, explains and adds that 'In this future, radiologists will embrace a new role, one where we will work more closely with our clinical and diagnostic partners, with scientists and industry in order to deliver the best outcome for the patients.' The ECR is supposed to be not only a congress from and for radiologists, but a convention where radiologists can learn from other disciplines. Professor Beets-Tan has invited over 100 speakers from various disciplines. 'I believe if we team up, we can improve our performance and ultimately increase the outcome for the patients,' she emphasises. 

Multidisciplinarity, however, is only one cornerstone of the upcoming ECR 2022. Another priority is interactivity. The number of parallel tracks was reduced and the lectures were shortened to give room for discussions. 'Quality above quantity,' Professor Beets-Tan summarises. There will be sessions with speakers from several disciplines discussing cases just like in daily practice. 'Instead of sitting in a classroom and listening to the teachers, the participants will interact with the speakers,' the President explains. Onsite, there will also be low-threshold “open forums” outside the rooms where the audience can listen to speakers and engage in lively discussions.

At ECR 2022, a lot of other new features will be tried out, for example the industry partners will get more space in the congress centre itself in addition to the exhibition hall. 'ECR is continuously adapting to the changing world. It is certain that after Covid-19, ECR will not be the same as before; it will be a congress of the modern times, yet not less exciting,' Professor Beets-Tan is convinced. 

The most obvious change of the annual congress are the two separate events: the ECR 2022 on July 13-17 in Vienna and the so-called ECR 2022 Overture online on March 2-6, at ECR’s usual pre-Covid-19 date. The warm-up event in March will feature a series of trailer sessions offering a glimpse of some of the major highlights to be held at ECR 2022. In addition, there will be a scientific and educational programme, round table sessions streamed live from a studio with presentations by radiology leaders and industry partners as well a studio dedicated to interventional education and technology. The actual ECR 2022 in Vienna in July will heed the calls for a return to the congress format with opportunities for a more personal exchange of knowledge as Professor Beets-Tan says: 'Nothing compares to an onsite experience.'

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Professor Regina Beets-Tan is President of the European Society of Radiology (ESR) and Chair Department of Radiology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.

The ECR is the annual meeting of the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) and the European Society for Hybrid, Molecular and Translational Imaging (ESHIMT). The ECR is one of the largest medical congresses in the world, attracting more than 28,000 participants. With 300 companies showcasing their products across more than 25,000 m², ECR hosts one of the largest medical exhibitions in Europe.

02.03.2022

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