Canada’s radiology community is dedicated and innovative. The European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2024 offered a platform to demonstrate these qualities by engaging with medical societies and collaborating on an international stage. CAR President Dr. Ania Kielar, Past-President Dr. Gilles Soulez, and CEO Nick Neuheimer attended the event in Vienna, Austria from February 28-March 3.
The theme for ECR 2024 was Next Generation Radiology, exploring the advancements of technology in the field of radiology and their intersections with techniques and human expertise.
“This was an enriching experience. I had the opportunity to meet and exchange information with other presidents from around the world,” said Dr. Kielar. “It was also a chance to see how the European countries conduct their educational and scientific radiology meeting. There was a lot of exciting research presented with many potential opportunities for collaboration between Canada and other countries.”
Excellent meeting at #ECR2024 in Vienna. Great meetings with other societies, looking into the future of radiology. Honoured to represent CAR at his meeting. pic.twitter.com/Em8RPQGCxZ
— Ania Kielar (@kielar_ania) March 2, 2024
On top of the cutting edge scientific and educational content presented at ECR 2024, the event served as a gathering place for international radiology societies to share updates from their respective countries and act as sounding boards for one another.
“Our team met with the leadership from the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiology (RANZCR), the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) in the UK, and the Société Française de Radiologie (SFR),” Dr. Kielar recalled. “There was also an official ECR meeting of radiology presidents where representatives from all over the world were present, including North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.”
Major international events like ECR 2024 are opportunities for the CAR to meet with societies from other countries to share ideas and experiences. Dr. Kielar noted that many other countries are experiencing similar challenges that Canadian radiologists and patients are currently facing, as well as the need for technological innovation.
“Many topics of interest in Canada, like human health resource shortages and the increasing influence of Artificial Intelligence in our everyday work, are the same in other countries around the world,” she said. “Sharing ideas to find solutions to improve our work balance and the value proposition of radiology is very important.”
From taking a leadership role in adopting AI innovation into the healthcare system to being leaders in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), Dr. Kielar knows that international societies can learn lots from the work of the CAR and its members.
“Canada is a place of innovation and collaboration, and we have a lot to offer to the international radiology community. The CAR Affiliate Societies are creating excellent guidelines that other countries have noticed and find helpful in their own settings. The ongoing work to establish the Healthcare AI Validation Network (HAIVN) is something we are proud to share globally. We also have an established EDI Working Group and are growing the Sustainability Standing Committee, both of which are areas of interest internationally.”
All in all, Dr. Kielar says it was another successful event with productive meetings and discussions throughout.