MLLP researchers Jorge Civera and Alfons Juan are coauthors in the article “An inter-specialty cancer training programme curriculum for Europe“, summarizing the results of EU4Health project INTERACT-EUROPE, recently published in ESSO-BASO’s European Journal of Surgical Oncology.
This article is a result of the recently finished EU project INTERACT-EUROPE, supported by the EU4Health programme, which has run from 2022 to 2023, coordinated by the European Cancer Organisation, with the goal of fostering innovative collaboration for inter-specialty cancer training across Europe. As part of this project, MLLP researchers developed Automatic Speech Recognition and Machine Translation technologies that were tested for their viability as a means to improve accessibility of the inter-specialty cancer training programme to trainees who may not be fully fluent in English. The success of INTERACT-EUROPE has resulted in the approval of its successor EU4Health project INTERACT-EUROPE 100, which will run from 2023 to 2026 focusing on implementing inter-specialty cancer training in 100 centres across Europe, with the continued participation of the MLLP research group as experts in language technologies.
We reproduce here the authors and abstract of the article:
An inter-specialty cancer training programme curriculum for Europe
European Journal of Surgical Oncology, Volume 49, ISSUE 9, 106989
Kim Benstead, Andreas Brandl, Ton Brouwers, Jorge Civera, Sarah Collen, Degi L. Csaba, Johan De Munter, Marieke Dewitte, Celia Diez de los Rios, Nikolina Dodlek, Jesper G. Eriksen, Patrice Forget, Chiara Gasparatto, Jan Geissler, Corinne Hall, Alfons Juan, Marco Kalz, Richard Kelly, Giorgos Klis, Taibe Kulaksiz, Carine Lecoq, Francesca Marangoni, Wendy McInally, Kathy Oliver, Maria Popovics, Christos Poulios, Richard Price, Irena Rollo, Silvia Romeo, Jana Steinbacher, Virpi Sulosaari, Niall O’Higgins
INTRODUCTION
Multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration is vital in providing better outcomes for patients. The aim of the INTERACT-EUROPE Project (Wide Ranging Cooperation and Cutting Edge Innovation As A Response To Cancer Training Needs) was to develop an inter-specialty curriculum. A pilot project will enable a pioneer cohort to acquire a sample of the competencies needed.
METHODS
A scoping review, qualitative and quantitative surveys were undertaken. The quantitative survey results are reported here. Respondents, including members of education boards, curriculum committees, trainee committees of European specialist societies and the ECO Patient Advisory Committee, were asked to score 127 proposed competencies on a 7-point Likert scale as to their value in achieving the aims of the curriculum. Results were discussed and competencies developed at two stakeholder meetings. A consultative document, shared with stakeholders and available online, requested views regarding the other components of the curriculum.
RESULTS
Eleven competencies were revised, three omitted and three added. The competencies were organised according to the CanMEDS framework with 13 Entrustable Professional Activities, 23 competencies and 127 enabling competencies covering all roles in the framework. Recommendations regarding the infrastructure, organisational aspects, eligibility of trainees and training centres, programme contents, assessment and evaluation were developed using the replies to the consultative document.
CONCLUSIONS
An Inter-specialty Cancer Training Programme Curriculum and a pilot programme with virtual and face-to-face components have been developed with the aim of improving the care of people affected by cancer.
The full article is openly accessible at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejso.2023.106989
The European Journal of Surgical Oncology, published by the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO), covers all aspects of surgical oncology research. It is indexed in the Scimago Journal and Country Rank (SJR) as a Q1 journal in the category of Medicine (miscellaneous), 2022.
Since the foundation of the MLLP research group in 2014, MLLP members have published over 15 international journal articles and over 30 international conference papers. You can browse through all of the 200+ publications by MLLP researchers in the Publications section in our website.
We at the MLLP group are looking forward to continuing our collaboration in INTERACT-EUROPE 100.
