Why is it that the course of time continues to accelerate: it is hard to believe, yet another year has past us by. Those celebrations heralding the advent of the new Millennium seemed like yesterday; do you realise that we are nearly done with the first decade of this new century!
I hope that you have all heeded the season’s call for at least a moment of standing still, and have allowed that all too ephemeral slowdown in our hectic daily pace to charge your batteries again, permitting a fleeting moment of introspection and relaxation as well.
I would like to take a second and look back on the first few years of EAPCI, sharing with you what might have been our achievements, as well as what remains to be pursued. My term as President will last for another short 9 months, still enough time to give birth…
By and large, the net outcome of our efforts has been more than positive. The overall objective of EAPCI, to become “the” exchange forum for all who care about cardiovascular health and wish to contribute to its improvement through the application of percutaneous interventions, remains an objective more desirable than ever before. What more needed, at the verge of a worldwide crisis, if not “a benevolent and representative organisation that seeks to synchronise efforts, contributes to consensus building, enhances sharing of experience, constructs bridges between (sub)specialties and stakeholders1.” Some of the facts and figures listed below indicate that EAPCI is doing all of that, perhaps even beyond our expectations.
Membership
EAPCI was created in August 2006 from the merger of an ESC Working Group and EuroPCR, under the umbrella of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). To date, we count 1,828 members, mostly cardiologists, coming from 92 different countries on all continents. Top membership countries are Italy (156), Poland (117), Spain (114), United Kingdom (108) and Germany (105). We have to work further on engaging non-cardiologists. It needs to be repeated that membership is open to ALL health care professionals for whom percutaneous cardiovascular intervention is the primary activity, including allied professions.
Electronic communication
EAPCI has two websites offering specific information content and linked to each other. On the ESC portal, news from EAPCI can be found under “communities” and remains integrated in the global picture of mainstream cardiology. A variety of items can be found including professional news, information about congresses, deadlines for- and results of- grant applications, relevant documents and guidelines, newsletters. The ESC website averages 150,000 visitors per month, of which 100,000 are unique. Over 1,000,000 pages are viewed each month at http://www.escardio.org/ communities/EAPCI.
The source for scientific and technical information is http://www.europcronline.com, largely but not exclusively derived from the knowledge base presented during EuroPCR congresses. To date, 4,523 PowerPoint lectures are available as well as numerous LIVE case demonstrations. Nearly one million sessions have been consulted (999,632!) and 4,216,585 PowerPoint lectures viewed.
EuroIntervention journal
Our journal has grown to become a unique source of information, including a strong electronic content, appropriate for a rapidly moving field like ours. Manuscript disposal is now entirely computerised and 482 articles have been published, of which 582,352 pages have been viewed. The readership enjoys free access to the published articles as illustrated by the nearly 150,000 PDF downloads (precisely 149,507). Most importantly, EuroIntervention is now indexed in MedLine / PubMed (http://www.eurointervention.org).
EuroPCR annual course
Much has been said about our annual meeting. Suffice it to say that EuroPCR should now be recognised as having become the largest, worldwide meeting on cardiovascular interventions, with a critical focus on patient-centred issues and interdisciplinary cross-talk. New in 2009, the meeting program will include abstract-based presentations on clinical studies, scientific contributions on selected topics, or innovative technologies. Make sure to attend EuroPCR2009 in Barcelona, May 19th-22nd.
Looking back at these achievements gives us a rewarding feeling and tells me that all the efforts of so many were not in vain. But there is more to come and out of the many EAPCI-EuroPCR projects for the coming year, I would like to briefly share with you three that are very close to my heart.
1. EAPCI has launched an initiative called “Stent 4 Life”. The objective is obvious and most appropriate: PCI is life saving when applied timely by competent teams to patients presenting with acute coronary disease. EAPCI calls for action and will mobilise all your energy to promote this therapy, facilitate patient access, implement the guidelines, improve procedural success, thereby saving additional lives and restoring the perceived value of our work2.
2. The ESC Board has mandated a Task Force to prepare an update of the 2005 ESC Guidelines on PCI. The document is due to be finalised by mid 2010 and very importantly, it will be a joint Guideline on Revascularisation between the ESC and EACTS, the European Association of CardioThoracic Surgery. Again, together we achieve more…
3. EuroPCR has launched a sustainable project to support emerging countries in establishing self-supported interventional programs. SHARE, which stands for “Sustain Health Development in Africa through Responsible Education”, will help primarily through capacity building. We proudly rely on the full support of H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco, and the External Relations of the Principality. Needless to say, we trust that we will be able to call upon your contribution in this project as well.
With these stimulating projects in mind, I would like to close on a personal note. Season’s greetings are about wishing families and friends all the best, a naïve if not foolish exercise, this time perhaps more than before. Personal happiness, good health are no foolish thoughts, they are indispensable to mankind’s well being as are joy and happiness. But beyond wishful thinking, EAPCI is offering you opportunities to become even happier. Engage in our activities, share your knowledge, spread the consensus, demonstrate solidarity. There is no secret: only a good person can be truly happy, and only a good person can be a great doctor. EAPCI/EuroPCR is becoming an impressive construction, entirely built for the good, largely by unselfish volunteers. Let us work our way through 2009, bring our good stones to the EAPCI edifice, in the best common interest of our patients and our profession.
