The Challenge of Conflict of Interests
In the middle of a successful professional society like EuroSpine, the Spine Society of Europe, the Medical Doctors are increasingly caught by the needs of Patients, Medical Technology Industries and the other requests of the Civil Society which are sometimes antagonists.
The efficiency of spinal disorder treatments must be optimized. From diagnosis to treatment modalities and associated health care coverage, Europe which is known to be the “cradle of Spine Surgery” must now create and streamline clear processes to lead towards superior medical, social and economic and political outcomes for the benefit of the whole community.
Both at National and European levels, best spine experts claim that most medical schools, residency and fellowship programs omit education on this more and more relevant subject and discharge the “specialists” in a professional world which is full of traps with insufficient background. Because the lack of common ground and platform between the multiple professions involved including General Practitioners, Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Rehabilitation specialists, Rheumatologists, Physiologists, Psychologists, Orthopedic surgeons and Neurosurgeons is obvious, the management of spinal
disorder treatments is not optimized, resulting in low efficiency, high financial cost and questionable or disparate end results.
In the absence of independent scientific driven educational structures, the Medical Technology Industries organize at their convenience training courses dedicated to their privileged “clients”. As a result, only a minority of the so called spine specialists’ benefit from this education which is moreover too product oriented.
Health Technology is important to assess and requires quantitative measurements. Beside the safety and effectiveness data to clear medical products at a regulatory level (CE marking), the cost benefit ratio is rarely assessed nor reported by independent bodies. However this should be part of the quality management system currently promoted by the European community.
Patients, Physicians, Professional societies, Medical Technology Industries, Healthcare Payers, Institutions and Government authorities could all benefit from the development of a new organizational platform for the stake holders in the spinal community which is what the EuroSpine Foundation is dedicated to provide.
Eurospine, the Spine Society of Europe and the European Spine Journal have created and founded EUROSPINE FOUNDATION to help and empowers EuroSpine, the Spine Society of Europe to achieve its goals.